YuGiOh: The Song About the Girl Who Cried
by Seth Turtle
Summary: Alexis and her friends visit Kaibaland and meet their idols just as a Ghoul terrorist cell usurps control. The heroes must fight their way to the 'Fortress on the Mountaintop' and destroy it before holograms commit atrocities worldwide.
1. Dont Play

"_Ore no turn!_ Draw!" Yugi shouted with ferocity. He held the card at eye level. His gaze wasn't on the drawn card, but on the enemy across the field. Seto Kaiba stared back, his eyes burning with all the hatred and pride in his heart. Yugi and Kaiba had a special relationship. They both respected the other's power even if they didn't always see things eye-to-eye. Kaiba wanted nothing more than to destroy the King of Games so that he could take the young man's title. Yugi wanted to bury the hatchet between them. Their war went on for so many years that it was legendary. Yugi wanted the man's friendship, not his animosity.

He wanted to put an end to the pain that Kaiba felt ever since he lost to Yugi's other half, the forgotten king, so many years ago.

"Silent Magician, _shokan_!" Yugi slapped the card into his Duel Disk. White light pooled at his feet and from it rose a blue-haired boy with gray, black, and magenta robes. The Solid Vision system displayed his offensive and defensive attributes of 1000 each for the benefit of the audience. Yugi and Kaiba had dueled since high school. They knew everything there was to know about the key cards in each other's decks, or so they thought. That was what made Duel Monsters such a wonderful game. Strategies changed, and so did the battles that ensued.

Even at the age of 26, Yugi dueled the same way he always had – with pride and courage, just as the Pharaoh did when Yugi owned the Millennium Puzzle. Every duel Yugi fought was in his memory. He planned to duel until the day he died. It was the only way he knew how to honor his friend's memory. Besides, Seto Kaiba would never forgive him if he retired from Duel Monsters. As Seto often said, Yugi was the only person worth dueling. In the beginning, he only meant the 'other' Yugi. But times had changed.

"It's useless!" Kaiba taunted. His Blue Eyes White Dragon – the third in his deck – roared fearsomely at his side. The other two dragons were in the graveyard, defeated by the previous combos Yugi had to offer. Both players had only 500 life points left. The audience was ablaze with excitement. They came to witness the best duelists in the world, and they got their wish. This year's Kaiba Corp Grand Prix was the best yet. There were a handful of children in the audience who couldn't agree more.

"I can't believe Yugi took out the Blue Eyes White Dragon with just a four star monster!" said Bastion Misawa. To his left was Alexis Rhodes, the so-called Queen of Duel Academy, and the second biggest lover of Duel Monsters in the group. She was a very cool-headed girl, but watching the battle between Yugi and Kaiba made her blood boil to the point where she could hardly stay in her seat or contain her excitement. Bastion wasn't sure if she even heard his comment.

The Ra Yellow turned to the two students from Osiris Red on his right. "Can you believe it? A four star monster – with no special abilities of its own! – took out a Blue Eyes thanks to Yugi's trap card!"

Syrus Truesdale answered immediately. He was excited too, but he was also very attentive and courteous. He went out of his way to answer Bastion, though it was clear from the way his eyes darted how difficult it was to turn away from the action. "I know, it was amazing! Yugi Mutou is the best!"

Jaden Yuki had half a bag of popcorn at his feet. He dropped it when Kaiba's second Blue Eyes went to the graveyard, and now he matched Alexis' expression. "Unreal! The King of Games is simply amazing!"

"Shouldn't we be cheering for President Kaiba, since he owns our school and all?" Syrus asked.

Jaden exploded with excitement. "When we get back to the hotel, we're dueling _all night_, guys!!" Syrus sighed. Jaden wasn't listening at all. He turned his attention back to the field. Yugi was about to make a move.

"I place two cards face-down and end my turn!" Yugi said. The holographic image of two cards appeared at his feet. He and Kaiba both had no cards in their hand, two cards face-down, and one monster to defend them. Both players were going in for the kill.

"_Ore no turn!"_ Kaiba snatched a card from the deck. In a flash, Yugi's magician gained a Level as per its special effect and increased to 1500 points. Nevertheless, Kaiba smiled smugly. "I've drawn the killing card, Yugi! Lord of Dragon!" (DEF 1100. Dark/Spellcaster. All Dragons cannot be targeted by effects.) Yugi and the audience trembled in unison. A card like that was murder in the late stage of the game, when life or death fell on a single card.

Bastion gripped the booth where he and his fellow Duel Academy students sat. "It's over! The Blue Eyes is unstoppable now!"

Alexis nearly leaped from the booth entirely. "Come on, _Mutoh-san_! FIGHT!!" The three boys leaned back fearfully. Alexis was scary when she got this pumped.

"Blue Eyes, finish it!!" Kaiba ordered, laughing maniacally. "_Burst Stream!!"_ The field flooded with lightning as the dragon's magical breath sizzled the air and flew from its mouth.

"Reverse card, open!" Yugi's hand slashed to his right, just as a spell card snapped upright. "Aria of Beyond!"

Alexis pumped her fist. "Yes! With that card, he can activate a spell that's been removed from the game! And since Kaiba used Soul Release on Yugi's graveyard in the fifth turn, that means-"

Bastion caught on. "His Magnet Reverse card!"

Indeed, Yugi's Magnet Reverse card appeared on the field and glowed with power. "I can revive a Rock or Machine monster from my graveyard. And the card I choose is Valkyrion, the Magna Warrior!" A towering giant materialized in front of the small Silent Magician to protect it. It's 3500 attack points were brought to bear. "Take this attack!" The magnetic monster pumped all its power into the sword it wielded, slashed its way through the Blue Eyes' lightning attack, and went straight for the dragon.

"Too naïve, Yugi!" Kaiba roared. "Reverse card, open!" 'Shrink' took away the strength of Yugi's monster and reduced its attack force to a measly 1750. The monster slashed the Blue Eyes with all its might, but the sword shattered on the creature's scales. Kaiba's coat tails swerved out of the path of a flying sword blade. The hologram stabbed into the steel floor beside him. "Disappear, _sako_ monster!" The dragon launched into the air and readied one final blast.

Yugi's second card revealed itself. "Shield of Interception! You may have taken away Valkyrion's attack strength, but its defense is still intact. I can use it to power up my Silent Magician!!" Valkyrion disappeared from the field and the golden remains of its energy descended on the tiny magician, who suddenly surged with unbelievable strength (ATK 5350).

Bastion gasped in astonishment. "Over 5000?!"

Kaiba snarled angrily. "Mechanical Magic Mirror!" A tiny machine with the vague parody of a wizard's costume appeared at his side. It held a mirror in its hands just right to reflect the image of a spell card in Yugi's graveyard. The 'Devil's Seal Barrier' appeared to protected Kaiba's dragon from Yugi's magician.

The field quieted. Both Yugi and Kaiba still had their monsters, but their spells and traps were exhausted. Kaiba was forced to end his turn, and it was clear from his angry expression that he dreaded the coming turn. He had the strongest monster on the field since Yugi's magician returned to its original point total, but Yugi was a devastating opponent when his back was against the wall like this. Kaiba knew he couldn't relax until the last card was played.

Yugi looked down at his deck, closed his eyes, and held his breath. The audience did the same. The silence was deafening. The stadium and its tens of thousands of people could actually hear Yugi's draw.

"Level Award!" Yugi flashed the card. "This allows me to change the Level of a monster on the field anywhere from 0 to 8! And you know what that means, Kaiba!" Yugi placed the card in the Duel Disk and let the dramatic light show speak for itself. Silent Magician rapidly leveled up until it was all the way to Level 8. The child-like magician was now a full-grown adult brimming with mystical energy.

"Silent Magician, _ike_! Silent Strike!!" The magician's hand opened calmly, and the Blue Eyes White Dragon vanished from existence. The battle ended with Kaiba losing what was left of his life points.

For a moment, the audience was too stunned to react. But soon, the crowd was in an uproar and cheered for the contenders. The kids from Duel Academy were especially proud. They clapped until their hands were sore.

Amidst the roar of the crowd, Yugi smiled at his lifelong rival. "What's the score now, Kaiba?"

Seto grimaced. "40 to 38. I'll close the gap. Next time."

Yugi nodded. "I'll be waiting." Without another word, Seto Kaiba turned and walked off the field, leaving the 20-year-old Mokuba Kaiba to officially announce the winner of the 11th annual KC Grand Prix. Yugi's name was called, and the crowd cheered again.

Alexis cheered the loudest. "_Mutoh__-san_!" She waved. Her uncharacteristic behavior sent chills of terror down Syrus and Bastion's backs. Jaden grabbed the others and reminded them that they were to meet President Kaiba backstage when the duel was over.

Although this was like a vacation for the students, they were technically here as part of a field trip to study with Seto Kaiba. It was one of his publicity stunts meant to show how strongly he felt about the Duel Academy system and the future of dueling. To the students, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the man who, second only to Maximilian Pegasus, was most integral to making Duel Monsters the worldwide phenomenon it was today.

"Have I thanked you yet, Bastion?" Syrus asked. "It's because of your near-perfect scores on the Duel Academy written exams that the four of us are here."

"You've thanked me many times already," Bastion said, smiling proudly. "But thank me again if you'd like."

Alexis had calmed down from her earlier high, but she was still eager and excited. She walked double-time, forcing the boys to keep up with her. She spoke as she usually did – calm and cool. "This really is wonderful. Even professional duelists don't get to meet President Kaiba outside of a battle."

Syrus shuddered. "I would never want to meet him in a battle. I think I'd faint."

Jaden clenched his fist tightly. "Not me. I'd be so pumped up I couldn't stand it! MAN, that was so exciting! I wish I could duel him right now!"

A grim voice spoke from around the corner ahead. "Duel _who, _now?" The students froze in mid-step. President Seto Kaiba walked to meet them, accompanied by his ever-faithful servant Isona. "I hope you don't think that just because I lost to a duelist like Yugi Mutoh that you students can defeat me as well."

Syrus tried to hide in his red jacket unsuccessfully. "Oh-oh, we would never think that Sir! Right Jaden? Jaden?" The other Red student had the all-too-familiar look on his face. He wanted Kaiba in the worst way. Syrus whispered a plea to his fellow student, reminding him that Kaiba was the second top ranked duelist on the planet and the owner of the school that gave Jaden food and shelter. Jaden didn't care. He would give anything to duel the man. _Someday_, he promised himself. _Someday._

Bastion took a big step past Alexis, who was right next to Kaiba, and supplanted her. "Sir! I noticed that you elected to forgo your Deck Destruction combo in favor of the Mosaic Manticore and your Blue Eyes White Dragon. You stuck to the strategy throughout the tournament except for your duel with the third ranked duelist, Joey Wheeler. Why did you go with Deck Destruction for him and not anyone else?"

Alexis took Kaiba's opposite side, startling the president a bit. "Well obviously, Bastion, that strategy was enough for a _bonkosu _duelist like that guy! Besides, Wheeler's deck uses a lot of high level warriors, and decks like that don't handle Deck Destruction strategies very well. President Kaiba was obviously electing the strongest strategy."

Bastion waved her suggestion away. "But _Mutoh-san_ uses a lot of high level monsters as well! It seems strange that he would go out of his way to change his deck for that guy and not his rival. Perhaps President Kaiba had a strategy that involved-"

"It's not like you could fathom every strategy in President Kaiba's deck," Alexis accused him.

Smoke rose from Bastion's yellow collar. "I think it's more accurate to say that I lack his experience, but surely a student who puts his efforts into studying the intricacies of the Duel Monsters game can understand what strategy goes into a fellow duelist's deck. While you were busy cheering for President Kaiba's enemy, I was paying close attention to his duels, so that I can learn from the best."

Alexis' knuckles popped from clenching them so tightly. "Are you suggesting that I don't pay attention?"

Jaden leaned close to Syrus. "That vein on Kaiba's head looks ready to pop." They both took a step back. Alexis and Bastion continued arguing until Isona stepped in, perhaps to save the children from death at the hands of a man who tried to kill his rivals back in high school.

"If you would please follow me, President Kaiba has arranged for you to meet with the Master of Ceremonies, Mokuba Kaiba, in order to discuss the game with the President's opponent. I'm afraid President Kaiba has an appointment at-"

Alexis shouted at Isona, and caught Kaiba's ear in the crossfire. "We get to meet Yugi Mutoh? In person?!"

Seto headed for the helipad elevator calmly. "He's better suited to dealing with children." He left without any ceremonious words. Isona hurried the duelists along before any of them could ask why their host wasn't letting them accompany him on his errand when they were supposed to stay with him the whole day.

Kaibaland Stadium was one of the largest entertainment centers on the planet, and yet it wasn't the largest place in Kaibaland. The amusement park was built in America, a place well known for its obsession with entertainment. The students from Duel Academy had first class arrangements on their flight from Japan and at the hotel they stayed at while they were here. They were given a free tour of the park and its best attractions (mostly rides through holographic environments) before the Grand Prix officially began. They were given box seats to witness the battles, and they were now getting the opportunity to meet the King of Games himself at his presidential suite in the very same hotel they were staying at.

"You children have been given a rare opportunity," Mokuba Kaiba said in understatement. He and Isona led the pack through the hotel lobby. "The average person would have to pay thousands of dollars to get the same treatment each of you received this entire trip."

Jaden sipped his soda and tore into a rice ball he picked up on the way to the hotel. "You're telling me. I thought the meal on the plane was great; the stuff at the hotel is just awesome!"

"It's not the food that's important, Jaden," Alexis said harshly. "It's the people we've met! Just think, we saw Mako Tsunami, Rebecca Hawkins, Leon Von Schroeder… and now we get to meet the King of them all."

"It's not that big a deal," Bastion pouted.

"Are you kidding me? You've been waiting your whole life to meet him!" Alexis was truly amazed at his nonchalance. "You're always telling me how you would give up your autographed Celtic Guardian to talk shop with Mister Mutoh for just ten minutes. You should be excited!"

Syrus leaned into Jaden. "He gets so jealous, doesn't he." Jaden sighed in agreement.

Alexis knew how sensitive Bastion was, so she thought that he was angry about the argument from before. She tried to lure him. "Come on, Bastion, think! What'll we ask him about first? His Silent monsters? The God cards? Last year's match with Zane?"

Bastion reluctantly smiled even though he remained silent. Alexis knew she'd won him over. "That's what I thought. Play your cards right and I'll let you get in a word or two."

"You can't hog him all to yourself." Bastion decreed. "Don't forget, I won us this trip. I intend to make full use of this chance." Alexis promised to do the same.

--

Joey swore loudly and flopped on the couch of Yugi's plush presidential suite. "Damn that Kaiba! It's not fair! Every year, I've gone up against him and every year, he crushes me. It's like he sets it up ahead of time so that I'll never reach the final match!"

Tea shook her head. "Joey, it's a tournament. The three of you are always the finalists when you're in the same tournament. You have to face him or Yugi."

"But why haven't I faced Yugi then?" Joey complained. "It's not fair," he said again.

Mai grabbed his head full of hair from behind the couch and yanked hard enough for him to look up at her. "Consider yourself fortunate. I was top-decked by that crap duelist Weevil in the _first round!_ I didn't even place this year!" Mai swore enough to make Tea and Joey blush in astonishment. "So damned irritating!" Mai let Joey go, but only to point at him fiercely. "_You're_ paying for my spa treatment later since you got the prize money for third!"

"Yes, Dear," Joey sighed. The two of them weren't always in the same tournaments since their qualifications differed, but in the rare times that Joey and Mai dueled together, they agreed that the winner would pay for the trip so that the loser could have a treat and feel better about losing. For a while, Joey refused, but only because Mai insisted on dueling under her maiden name. He recently changed his mind, but only because he thought Mai would place higher than him all the time. It turned out he was stronger than he thought, to his chagrin.

"It's too bad Tristan and Serenity couldn't join us this time," Tea said. "But if we're fortunate, by the time we get back, Tristan will finally have given her a wedding ring and a proposal."

"Not if he knows what's good for him," Joey warned.

"You're so protective of your little sister." Mai stroked her husband's hair. "Let her go. She's not a little girl anymore."

"She's always gonna be my little sister, dangit! And I'm not letting a bum like Tristan take advantage of her charity!"

Tea laughed. "You're not gonna be like this when you have a daughter, are you?" Joey tried not to hyperventilate.

A knock on the door alerted Tea to the arrival of their guests. She answered promptly. Mokuba stood in front of the four Duel Academy students, all of whom gawked visibly. It seemed they hadn't expected to see a beautiful woman in Yugi's room.

"Mrs. Mutoh, it's a pleasure to see you again," Mokuba said as formally as possible, although he knew Tea and her friends quite well. "Allow me to present my brother's guests from Duel Academy. They've come to discuss the game with Yugi. Is he in right now?" Mokuba, of course, already knew the answer.

"He's in the shower at the moment, but he'll be right out. Please, come in."

"I'm afraid I must decline," Mokuba said, even as the duelists rushed inside. "There's a lot of work to do, even with the Grand Prix festivities at an end. I'll see you all at the airport before you leave, I hope." Tea agreed wholeheartedly and wished the boy "Fair Well."

Joey and Mai greeted the kids with the gusto they showed for any meeting. "Hey there! You must be the guys Yugi told us about. How's it goin'?" Joey offered a hand to Bastion. He and Alexis were pale as ghosts. They both knew as much about Joey Wheeler and Mai Valentine as they did about Yugi and Kaiba. So many idols at once…

Jaden took Joey's hand and clasped it proudly. "How you doing, Chum? Jaden's the name, and dueling's my game!"

Joey laughed. "What a coincidence, it's mine too." They laughed at their own cheesiness.

Mai greeted Syrus the same way she greeted shy Yugi back at Duelist Kingdom – very forward, very openly. "Hiya Handsome. You got a name or should I give you one?" She liked seeing little boys squirm. It was a hobby.

And Syrus squirmed indeed, though he wasn't petrified like Alexis or Bastion. He answered clumsily. "My name is Syrus Truesdale."

"Ohhhhh, Zane's little brother," Mai cooed. "Zane may be the Duel Kaiser, but he loses in looks to his sibling."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Valentine."

"Mrs., you mean," she corrected. "Sorry Hon'. Got myself a boy."

"You mean a man," Joey said, still shaking Jaden's hand.

"Not yet. Like I told you on our honeymoon, not until you beat my new deck. Only then will you be a man." Mai put her hands on her hips and showed off. "…and have all the perks that a man gets."

Joey drew his deck from his pocket and started shuffling like a madman. "I'm ready when you are, Valentine!"

"Later, Dear," Mai tsked in disapproval. "We have company." She put an arm around Syrus' shoulder, making the boy blush more still.

Tea looked at Bastion and Alexis with concern. Both looked like they were jump out the window in a panic at any moment. She tentatively tapped Bastion, startling the boy very much. "W-would you like some tea? We have _oolong_."

Alexis managed a reply. "…Yes, that would be fine, thank you." Bastion nodded as well. Tea put on her best waitress smile and went to grab the drinks.

Syrus blinked as she left. "Isn't that Tea Gardner, the dancer from that _Black Magician Girl_ Broadway show last year?"

Mai nodded proudly. "The one and only. Seems you don't miss much, do you?" Mai slid Syrus' glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. Syrus smiled politely and made a beeline for Jaden's rear flank to hide. Jaden noticed his retreat and stepped in to reply for him.

"Sy' here is a big Black Magician Girl fan. He loves Mrs. Mutoh's work. With the blonde wig and the costume, she looks just like his favorite card."

Tea came back with a tray of the oolong tea she promised. She heard the last bit of the conversation, but Mai had to fill her in on the details. Syrus hid behind Jaden all the while. Tea's face glowed when she realized she had a fan.

"Your friends look like they need some fresh air," Joey said. "You're pretty calm though."

"I'm not afraid of anyone or anything," Jaden declared proudly. "That includes my idols!"

A slim young man in black jeans and a matching shirt traipsed into the room, his red and gold locks still hampered by wetness from his shower. "That's good to know, _Jaden__-kun_. Winged Kuriboh deserves a partner like that."

Jaden's friends fell in a heap behind him. Jaden gave a casual wave. "Hey Yugi."

--

Alexis was the first to wake up. The three fainters were moved to the bedroom, with Alexis on one and the two boys on the other. Alexis rubbed her eyes tiredly and sat up. It took her a moment to realize where she was and what happened. She felt so ashamed of her behavior since she prided herself on being tough and detached.

"Elemental Hero Prismer, _shokan_," she heard from the living room. Alexis wandered to the bedroom door and saw Jaden in the middle of a tabletop duel with Mister Wheeler. Miss Valentine and Mister Mutoh were watching from either side, and Mrs. Mutoh was on her way towards the bedroom. She was happy to see Alexis on her feet, but the duelist had to lean against the doorway to keep her footing. She was still in shock from seeing her idols, and despite her desire to tough it out, her body had other plans.

"Take it easy." Tea offered her support and helped Alexis back into the bedroom.

Alexis tried to catch a glimpse of Jaden's attack, but Tea took her to the edge of the boys' bed before she could hear the end of it. Alexis felt the weight of her whole body drag her down to a sitting position. She cupped her head tiredly. "Ohhh…."

"Try this." Alexis took the drink that was offered and sipped it. It had a sharp taste and a warm, invigorating odor. It felt pleasing on the way down her throat. She took another sip bigger than the last.

"Thank you," Alexis said gruffly. Her throat was still dry.

"No problem."

Alexis sighed. "I don't understand how Jaden can be so casual. And Mister Mutoh called him _Jaden-kun. _This is his first time meeting his idols, so why..."

"Well, not exactly. _J__aden__-ku__n _met Yugi in Domino City on his way to his Entrance Exam. They hit it off quite readily. It was at that meeting that Yugi gave Jaden his Winged Kuriboh. They've had a correspondence ever since."

Alexis downed the rest of her tea during the story. Tea immediately refilled her cup as Alexis tried to get over her exasperation. "Yugi Mutoh _gave _Jaden a card? Why didn't he ever tell us? That idiot!"

"Maybe he thought you'd be angry at his good fortune?" Tea said, noting Alexis' behavior.

The girl from Obelisk Blue shook her head. "That boy… he seems to have all the luck, in dueling and in life."

Tea glanced at her wedding ring thoughtfully. "Some boys are like that. Not always by choice though. I'm sure Jaden can't help that he's lucky."

Alexis got back on her feet and found them much sturdier than before. "Yeah. I suppose you're right. He doesn't brag or anything. I guess I can't be mad at him." She breathed to make sure she was calm enough to go face her idols again. "Being jealous won't help either."

Tea patted the girl supportively. "Relax. Yugi and Joey are like little boys when it comes to Duel Monsters. They're just as excited by the game as you are. They're not like _Kaiba-kun._"

"Maybe the problem is that I'm too much like President Kaiba. I take dueling very seriously."

"A good friend gave me some important advice when I started studying dance: 'Don't be afraid. They were all beginners once.'"

Alexis considered her words carefully. It was hard for her to imagine Yugi Mutoh as a beginner, but she had to admit that the woman's statement was true. Even Yugi Mutoh was a beginner, once. He was a person, not just a king.

"Ready?" Tea asked. Alexis nodded and they walked back to the living room together, just in time to witness Jaden's cry of defeat.

"Darnit!" the boy yelled. "I _knew_ you were gonna play Evil Dice. I _knew_ it! Why didn't I side-deck for it?"

Mai grinned. "Even if you did, how do you prepare for a deck that relies on luck?"

"There's more to it than luck!" Joey said defensively. Even as the winner, he had to convince everyone how great his deck was. Joey Wheeler got no respect.

Yugi noticed the pair at the doorway. "Feeling better?" he asked. Alexis was reluctant to reply. Even with Tea's pep talk, she was still talking to the King of Games. It was hard to shake her instincts.

"Miss Rhodes was just telling me how excited she was by the duel you had with _Kaiba-kun_," Tea said, hugging her husband briefly. "I think she would like a duel, just like Jaden did."

Jaden smiled. "Hey, that's a great idea. The Duel King versus the Duel Queen!"

"Has a nice ring to it," Joey agreed. Jaden had an older brother it seemed, and his name was Joey Wheeler. "Come on in and have a seat.

"It'll give me a chance to side-deck for my rematch with Mister Wheeler!" Jaden said. Already, Joey was laughing and letting the trash talk fly, claiming that Jaden would have no chance regardless of what cards he used. It was the one chance that Joey could talk down to a duelist like Kaiba did and not feel guilty about it, since he knew Jaden would find the show of strength amusing.

"Oh… I don't know," Alexis said unsurely. She took Yugi's calm disposition as a sign of apathy, which in turn she translated as a sign of annoyance at this little duelist wanting to duel him. She decided that it was best not to waste his time.

But Yugi had other ideas. He sat down at the table and smiled gently. "Sounds like fun. The Duel Queen must be really strong to earn such a title. I'm eager to see what sort of deck you've made."

Alexis' heart skipped a beat. A duel with Yugi? She must still be asleep. Don't wake up, Alexis. Don't wake up!

She sat at the table and withdrew her deck from her carrying case. She held the deck awkwardly like a newbie. "Please." Yugi nodded, exchanged decks with her, and shuffled briskly. Alexis couldn't believe that she was shuffling the strongest deck in the world. She almost forgot to breath, she was so excited.

_Be cool_, Alexis told herself. _Cool as ice._

The duelists took back their decks and placed them at their sides. They drew five cards at the same time and began the duel traditionally. "Duel!"

Alexis watched carefully to see if Yugi wanted to go first or not, but when he made no move either way, she decided to take the initiative. "I'll attack with this." Alexis played the Hail Cyber card vertically near the middle of the table. (4/1300/1500, Water/Warrior, Place an Ice counter on any monster that attacks this card. Reduce the monster's ATK by 300 for each Ice counter on it during the battle.)

"I'll also put this face-down," she said as she did so with one of her favorites, Doble Passe, "and end my turn."

"My turn!" Yugi drew a card and summoned Red Gadget (4/1300/1500, Earth/Machine, Add a Yellow Gadget to your hand from your deck when this is Summoned). He explained the effect, although Alexis knew Yugi's favorite cards by heart, and went to his deck for the card. Yugi flipped through the cards and drew the Yellow Gadget in barely a second, and shuffled his deck seven times in a few seconds more. Alexis was amazed by the speed of his hands. He was like a magician.

"I'll also play the Toy Box and use it to place two of my Toys on the field." Yugi slid two cards from his hand underneath the spell card.

Alexis blinked at the mention of toys. "Hunh?"

Tea laughed a little. "Yugi has a thing for toys. There's actually a lot of them in his deck, though he doesn't use them very often in tournament play. The other duelists usually aren't amused by toys as much as he is. They always want to duel seriously."

Yugi chuckled quietly. "It's really hard to enjoy dueling when everyone's aiming for your title. That's why I'm glad you and your friends came to visit us today. It'll be a great chance to enjoy the game rather than worry about winning and losing. This is a rare opportunity for me."

"A rare… opportunity." Alexis saw Jaden smiling over Yugi's shoulder. She saw a little of one in the other. No wonder they hit it off so easily when they first met.

"Let's have fun, _Alexis-kun_," Yugi asked. "Let's enjoy our game together."

If Alexis was talking to anyone else, she might have declined and said what she told Tea before: Dueling is a serious thing. But she couldn't bring herself to say that to Yugi, especially when his face had such a sweet smile on it.

"_H-Hai,_" she managed a reply. Yugi ended his turn, and Alexis drew again.

Alexis noticed that Yugi hadn't set any traps. Now was a perfect time for her to attack his Gadget monster. It's ATK was only 1300. She could beat it and attack directly if she played a strong enough monster. Thanks to her draw, she had just the one.

"I'll play Cold Tiger," Alexis declared. (4/1900/1400, Water/Beast.) "And I'll use it to attack your Red Gadget."

Jaden whistled innocently, making the 'Uh-Oh!' sound as he did. Yugi drew one of the cards from his Toy Box and handed it to Alexis for her to read.

(Toy Gardna. 4/100/2600, Earth/Warrior. If this card is face-down on the field by the effect of Toy Box, you can Special Summon it during your opponent's Battle Phase. If this card is attacked, return it to the Toy Box or your hand at the end of the battle.)

"Since I'm performing a Special Summon during your attack, I can protect my Gadget using the Toy Gardna. And as a result..."

"I lose 700 life," Alexis admitted.

"But at that time, it also returns to my Toy Box." Yugi slid the card back into place. "And your Hail Cyber isn't strong enough to defeat my monster."

Alexis grimaced. She couldn't even damage him when he had no trap cards. Reluctantly, she ended her turn. She still had two monsters on the field. Next turn, she could summon one of her high level monsters. It's ATK was high enough that even the Toy Gardna wouldn't be a problem.

"_Turn Endo-da."_

Yugi noticed her seriousness. He drew and pulled another card from his Toy Box. "This one is the Toy Boat. It's a seafaring card like the ones you play with in the bathtub. It's cute, but it also has the ability to provide support to other monsters by firing missiles at the enemy." Yugi summoned the card specially to the field. "I'll use Toy Boat's power to deal 800 damage to your Cold Tiger, reducing its ATK to 1100."

Alexis gasped. "It's too weak to defend itself now."

"I'll summon my Yellow Gadget and use its effect to add Green to my hand." (Yellow Gadget. 4/1200/1200.) "I'll then let my Red Gadget destroy your Cold Tiger."

Alexis sent her card to the graveyard. With the 200 life lost in that battle, she was down to 3100. She was losing and Yugi hadn't even played his _real_ tournament cards. He was making a fool out of her!

Jaden cleaned some gunk out of his ear. "You're so stiff, Alexis. Relax! This isn't like you. All you need to do is-"

"Shut up, Jaden. I know what I'm doing," Alexis barked. The Osiris student didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected Alexis to be so angry.

_"Ore no turn."_ Alexis drew and revealed her drawn card. "I'll use Sacrifice Icicle to bring an Icicle Token to my field. It can be used as two tributes for a summoning, which I'll use to play a monster from my hand!"

Mai's interest was piqued. "Oooh, a quick summon."

(The Ice Queen. 8/2900/2100, Water/Aqua, If an Aqua monster is on your opponent's side of the field, you can gain control of it by paying 500 LP.)

"I'm using it to attack your Red Gadget!" Asuka declared. "But even if you use your Toy Gardna to defend it, that toy will be destroyed by Ice Queen's superior attack."

Yugi sent his Toy Gardna to the grave. He watched Asuka's expression carefully. She wasn't having fun. She was all business. Yugi replied with equal curtness. "But my life points are untouched."

"Hail Cyber can fix that. She will attack your Yellow Gadget and destroy it. That brings your life points down to 3900." Alexis smiled eagerly. She damaged him!

"My turn. I'm going to use my Toy Box to bring out my Toy Boat once again. It's special attack will reduce your Ice Queen to 2100 ATK. And I will sacrifice my Boat and my Gadget to summon a monster from my hand." Alexis watched the card flop onto the table, and her heart sank when she saw what it was.

(Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon. 8/3000/2000. Earth/Machine. The card gains effects if a Gadget monster is tributed to summon it. If Gadjiltron attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spells or Traps until the end of the Damage Step.)

A rare and mighty card, just like the ones found in Professor Crowler's deck.

"The toys are off the table, Alexis," Yugi warned her. Indeed, with both Toy cards gone, the empty Toy Box had to be discarded to the graveyard. "Now, Gadjiltron attacks the Ice Queen."

Alexis discarded the card. Since its attack power was reduced, she lost a lot of life points. She still had 2200, but against a monster like Yugi's, she might as well have had none.

"And then, Gadjiltron's special ability gained from the Red Gadget. Since you took damage from my dragon's attack, Gadjiltron can deal 400 damage more with its effect."

1800 life. Alexis was in trouble. If she wanted to make an impression on Yugi, she had to fight back. But what could she do?

"_Ore no turn,_" Alexis said firmly as she drew. Yes! She got the card she needed. "I summon Cold Enchanter to the field." (ATK 1600) "And, since I have two Water monsters in play, I can sacrifice them both to special summon the Ice Master in my hand!" Alexis tossed Hail Cyber and her Enchanter into the graveyard. (Ice Master. 8/2500/2000, Water/Spellcaster. Once per turn, you can place an Ice counter on a card in play. Tribute Ice Master to destroy all cards with Ice counters on them.)

"Another quick summon," Mai said. "You've got some spunk, kid."

"I'll use Ice Master's effect to place an Ice counter on your Gadjiltron! And I'll use my Field Spell to keep it from attacking me."

(Absolute Ice Wall. Field Spell. Monsters with Ice counters on them cannot change modes. For each Ice counter on a monster, reduce its ATK by 500.)

"Gadjiltron is now at 2500 ATK," Alexis explained. "If it attacks, both our monsters will die. Next turn, I'll freeze it again and destroy it with my Ice Master. Until then, I have to end my turn."

Yugi smiled. "A strong tactic. But I have ways to deal with your frigidity!" Yugi set two cards face down and summoned his Green Gadget (DEF 600). Since there were no more Gadgets in his deck, Yugi couldn't add to his hand. He had no more cards, while Alexis still had one in her hand – a low-level monster in case she needed it.

"My turn is over," Yugi said coldly. Alexis felt his strength in those words. It sent a shiver down her spine. She realized now that he wasn't playing games either. Good, she thought. She wanted a serious duel with him. What was the point in dueling "for fun" if you weren't going to be serious about it?

Alexis drew and got another low-level monster. "Aqua Spirit, in Attack Mode!" (ATK 1600) "I'll use Ice Master's special effect to put another counter on Gadjiltron, reducing its ATK to 2000." Alexis had two monsters now. She was in prime position to win. She was really gonna do it!

"Ice Master attacks your Gadjiltron and-"

"Reverse card, open." Yugi flipped his card quickly. It was Shield of Interception, just like in his duel against Kaiba. Alexis watched in horror as Yugi sent his Green Gadget to the graveyard pile. Gadjiltron's ATK was 2600, meaning her Ice Master was destroyed.

"At this time, Gadjiltron's special ability deals 400 damage more. And I will also activate an instant magic card!"

(Strike Back. Quickplay Spell. Immediately following the end of your opponent's Battle Phase, you may perform your own Battle Phase.)

"Gadjiltron destroys your Aqua Spirit." That brought Alexis down to a measly 300 life points. Gadjiltron's special attack brought her down to zero. Just like that, the game was over.

Alexis couldn't believe it. She was in control of the game, and she lost completely in only a few turns. Yugi crushed her.

Jaden tried to sound reassuring. "I guess they call him King of Games for a good reason. That was a great duel Alexis."

Joey chimed in. "Yeah, you're easily better than half the chumps who call themselves professional duelists. You should be proud."

Alexis forced a smile. "I should've been more careful. I forgot who I was facing." She bowed. "Thank you for the duel, Mister Mutoh."

Yugi nodded back. She was behaving submissively, but the duelist knew when he was in the presence of a mouse or a dragon. Alexis wasn't satisfied. He avoided the casual cheerfulness he demonstrated earlier and remained professional. It was what she wanted.

The tension in the room was overbearing. Jaden came to the rescue. "Me next! Me next!"

"Ohhhh no you don't!" Joey said. "You're mine, remember?" The boys shared a laugh and helped to lighten the mood. They shoved the other duelists out of the way and sat down for Round 2 of their match.

Alexis remained silent. Her mind wasn't on fun right now. All she could think of was how foolish she was to think she could impress the King of Games. He sliced her in half without a second thought. Some 'Duel Queen' she was.

She was nothing but a novice.

--

Like any theme park, Kaibaland had a central control responsible for maintaining the park's major functions. If anyone were to commandeer the controls, the park's guests would be at the mercy of whoever stood at the helm. And like any theme park, Kaibaland employed the best security system on the market and the safest security practices to make sure no unauthorized access occurred.

Nevertheless, there were people who could break through any security, regardless of how high-tech it was. Ghoul Cell #583 planned this attack ever since Kaibaland's inception many years ago, back when they were still under Marik Ishtar's command. The cell realized that by taking control of the world's premiere center for unbounded Solid Vision, you could send holograms to any place in the world that a satellite can reach. In so doing, the hologram could do whatever its controller wished without suffering from the mortality a human agent would. A hologram could rob a bank without fear of police firearms. A hologram could assassinate a political figure. And best of all, the controller would not be harmed, meaning he could return another day to commit further felonies.

Cell 583 had only three members in it – all highly trained duelists and highly trained covert operatives. Ikonu was the disguise specialist of the group. For nearly a year, she'd been working at Kaibaland as a computer operative, handling routine data processing and sensor management for the park. She built up a report with her coworkers to the point where they trusted her implicitly and she made sure her bosses trusted her with difficult and risky tasks. She'd done all this so that today, she and her partners could put their plan into action.

Ikonu programmed the security in Central Control to enter a debug loop so that it wouldn't look suspicious even while it was inoperative. When that was taken care of, she opened the door and waved her guests inside. "Welcome to Kaibaland. I hope you enjoy your stay."

Cell Leader Vio and Demolitions Expert Grenadi stepped inside. They were dressed in full Ghoul garb of a black tarp draped from the head down and tied off at the neck with a white noose. On the tarp was a simple clownish face made of two empty circles and an arc for a smile. Vio was taller and thinner than the stocky Grenadi, but beyond that there was nothing to differentiate the two men.

"Is everything ready?" Vio asked in a voice as deep as the ocean.

"Class E, D, and C security are ready to enter the debug mode, and I will handle the remaining security once the top three layers are down." Ikonu returned to the controls and punched up the necessary user interface. Vio observed her work quietly.

Ikonu drew a Duel Monster card from her jacket pocket. The title was _Fortress on the Mountaintop_ and the depiction matched the title perfectly. Although the card had all the usual Duel Monster data on it, it was actually a virus meant to interact with the Kaibaland computer system. Once the card was activated, Central Control would become an impenetrable fortress unless Kaiba Corp shut down its entire Solid Vision system… a task that was nigh impossible thanks to the complexity of the Duel Server that manned it.

One way or another, Cell 583 would change the world. Either Kaiba Corp would be crushed, or Kaiba Corp's technology would be put to good use by the Ghouls.

"Initiate shutdown of Kaibaland security," Vio commanded. Ikonu went into action. The park descended into darkness, slowly but endlessly, until the horizon seemed devoid of civilization against the evening sky.

Ikonu unfolded a card reader from the control panel and held her virus at the ready. "Fortress on the Mountaintop! _Ike!_" The card surged to life and extended its tendrils into the heart of Kaibaland. A black cancer infested every program and gave its power to the Ghouls. Every hologram was now under the Ghouls' control.

"Seal the park," Vio ordered. "No one gets in, and no one gets out."

--

Tea screamed when the lights went out. The confusion was loud enough to wake up Syrus and Bastion. Syrus screamed in turn and curled up defensively, while Bastion rushed to the dimly outlined doorway to see what was going on. "What's happened? What's going on?"

A Duel Disk activated. The light from the life point readout and the card slots was enough to illuminate Yugi's face. He parted the curtains to bring in the theme park's light, but he was surprised to see everything covered in darkness. "Something's wrong."

"What do we do?" Tea found a candle and lit it with a match. Light blanketed the room.

"It's probably just a temporary problem," Mai noted. "It happens."

"Not in Kaiba's theme park," Yugi frowned. "A failure on this scale shouldn't happen."

Joey looked outside as well. "People will panic. We should make sure they find their way to safety."

"We'll help you!" Jaden said firmly.

"No. You kids stay here," Joey replied. He and Yugi went for the door. Before he left, Yugi whispered a few words of caution and concern to his wife, who whispered back her reassurances. The duelist closed the door behind him.

Mai scowled. "So we just wait here for our heroes to get back?"

"It's probably nothing," Tea said. "There's no need to worry."

Alexis took a Duel Disk from Joey's satchel by the couch, donned it quickly, and ran for the door. Jaden yelled in surprise. "Alexis! Hey, what're you-" But it was too late. There wasn't a moment's hesitation.

Mai sighed. "That girl's got a chip on her shoulder. We should probably go after her. It's better than waiting around in the dark."

Bastion brought Syrus to the living room. "It really is for the best if we stay here until the emergency is taken care of." But even as he said it, Jaden and Mai were leaving. "Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?"

Tea sympathized. But, ultimately, the three remaining in the room followed the others. There was work to be done.


	2. Partner

The still air carried Yugi's footfalls far. The stars were out tonight, but starlight only gave enough light to see a few meters ahead. Fortunately, Yugi had his Duel Disk armed and in Standby mode, which allowed it to shine enough light to illuminate his face and the area around him. Scattered voices called for help. Joey helped them find their way towards the road leading to the hotel, where they would be safe until the park's power came back online. Yugi kept pace with him, but all the while his eyes were on the darkness itself. His instincts told him that this was no random accident. Kaiba was often a target for criminals and extremists.

"Move in, Men!" A man in a green suit found his way to Yugi's side. It was clear upon close inspection that he was a Kaiba Corp security officer. A swarm of similarly garbed men swept the area, each wielding a helmet with a headlight that made it easier to see, but was also blinding to the people who caught the beam in the eyes. Yugi's shielded his eyes as best he could.

"Sir!" said the officer. "I'm glad to see that you are safe and sound. We have made arrangements to have you and your guests taken to safety in the secondary bridge."

"Secondary bridge? What happened to the first?"

"Our primary control center has been commandeered by parties unknown. It seems they've disabled the security all over the park and established new protocols to their design. The control center is surrounded by an impregnable holographic fortress."

"A fortress…"

"President Kaiba should be here in forty minutes time. I'm having his helicopter land there so that the President can personally address this matter."

"Sir!" Another officer said, running over quickly. "Com-Tac reports that a second impenetrable barrier has surrounded the park itself. Kaibaland is sealed for all incoming and outgoing personnel!"

"Do we have communications?"

"No Sir! Phones, radios, television, they're all down. The only signal getting in or out is the traffic from Kaiba Corp's Server."

"Yes, without that, the holograms wouldn't function. And since the barrier is blocking our signals from reaching the satellites, we can't send our kill codes to the server to disable the holographic system."

Yugi frowned thoughtfully. "I suspect that those who've usurped control have a way to communicate with the outside world. Otherwise this takeover would be at a stalemate. They need a way to make their demands known to the public."

"Central Control has a dedicated hard line to a communications center a few miles away," the subordinate said. "It's likely they are using that."

"You must regain control of Kaibaland," Yugi said firmly. "Otherwise there's no hope of finding out who these people are and, more importantly, finding a way to stop them. Are you sure there's no way to get through that hologram?"

"Our armory contains anti-personnel weaponry as well as anti-photon projectiles mean to disable viral holograms, but the fortress is putting out too much power to be affected by anything we can throw at it. Kaibaland's power supply is considerable; even if they divide the power between that fortress and the barrier around the park, there's still enough energy to keep both from cracking."

"So there's no way to shut it down from the outside?"

"Affirmative. We can only do it from the primary bridge, or the secondary bridge if we can disable their virus."

"Can it be done?"

"The President's brother could do it, given enough time. We're still trying to locate him. With communications down, he'll most certainly head for the secondary bridge."

"Yugi!" Joey ran to his side. "Everything's all clear here. The squad's heading to Amazon Island to help the people on the midnight boat ride."

Yugi came to a decision. "Gather anyone still outside and get them to safety. I will head for the control center. I will find a way inside."

"Sir, I wouldn't advise that. Those responsible for what's going on may be violent."

"Did they act violently while you were testing the strength of the fortress?" The soldier shook his head. "They've taken over the most important location in Kaiba Corp's prized theme park, so they know the whole world will bring its strength to bear against them. They're more worried about protecting themselves than about us. They won't attack unless we do something to directly threaten their defenses. That's the paradox of The Fortress on the Mountaintop," Yugi said to himself. "It's a tenuous position to be in."

"I see…" the officer said, surprised at Yugi's insight. "You'll need a flashlight." He motioned for one of his subordinates to hand over his spare. Yugi accepted it quietly. "Please be careful. The only reason I'm letting you go is because you're President Kaiba's rival. A man who can hold that position must have a head for battle. Perhaps you can find a way inside that we've overlooked."

"Well then, let's get moving!" Joey said excitedly.

"You'll head back to your room, Sir," the officer said. Joey gave him an angry look.

"Do as he says," Yugi insisted. "Mai and Tea will need to know what's going on."

Joey's frown faded slowly. "I'll have to keep a tight leash on those kids, too. That Jaden has a lot of heart and not a lot of head, just like yours truly. But I'll keep him in line. So don't worry about a thing."

Yugi nodded. "I leave it to you, then." Yugi motioned to the officer as well before heading towards the walkway. Although the monorails in the park were down, it was still possible to walk these highway-sized bridges to reach the most distant sections. It would take Yugi quite a while to get to Central Command, and it would be just him and his flashlight during that time.

"Back inside," the officer told Joey sternly. He shouted an order to his men, and they moved out.

Joey spat. "Bastards. They're lucky Mai and the kids need me." He turned and ran back the way he and Yugi came using a flashlight on loan from yet another soldier with a spare.

Alexis stepped from the bushes. She followed Yugi and Joey from the hotel and was careful to stay out of sight, even as she helped people find their way to safety. She overheard Yugi's conversation.

_Jaden isn't the only one with heart,_ she thought jealously. Alexis listened carefully to make sure no one was around before she followed Yugi's footsteps.

Alexis watched Yugi's flashlight bob in the distance. The Duel Disk she borrowed from Joey was enough to keep the path ahead of her illuminated, so she wouldn't trip on any obstructions. She doubted there would be any in the middle of a walkway, but it was better to err on the side of caution, especially when drowning in darkness. Even with the disk, Alexis felt blind. Yugi's light was all that kept her going. She struggled to keep it in her line of sight. If he turned a corner, Alexis might lose him completely and be trapped in the darkness completely.

The flashlight disappeared. Alexis' worst fear was realized, but she kept a calm head. Yugi's body was either blocking the light (in which case it would reappear in a second), or he was behind a building, in which case Alexis had to hurry forward and catch up with him before he got too far ahead.

A hand forced itself over Alexis' mouth. She reacted instinctively and jabbed her elbow into the body of her attacker with all her might. The man deflected the blow with a quick but gentle pressure on her arm just before grabbing her wrist and forcing her to face him. Alexis was about to bring her knee into the man's upper thigh until she realized that her attacker had a red mane with golden bangs decorating his head like a crown.

Yugi let go of Alexis' mouth when he saw that she was calm again. "What are you doing here?" he whispered.

_I want to help you_. It sounded better in her head than it would on her lips. "The others were worried. I came to keep an eye out for trouble."

"I appreciate the gesture, Miss Rhodes, but I don't want to put you or your friends in danger." The man let Alexis' wrist drop. She didn't move. "Go back with the others. I'll return soon."

_What happened to 'Alexis-kun'? The '-kun' meant we were fellow Duelists. Am I back to being a child now? _Alexis' anger showed in her eyes, even in the darkness. Yugi's flashlight was off from when he doubled back to reach Alexis, so the only light between them now was her Duel Disk.

"Listen! I've been through my share of danger back at the Academy. I'm no stranger to trouble. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't face danger as well as a boy can."

Yugi stepped aside to pass her. "You know that's not what I mean." His flashlight clicked on and he continued. This hardly seemed like the Duel Queen that Jaden described in his letters. Alexis projected strength, but her eyes betrayed her true feelings. She didn't feel strong at all. Gadjiltron's attack must have taken away more than her life points.

"You can accompany me as far as the Tyrannosaurus Paddock," Yugi said. "From there, I go alone."

Alexis nodded. She should have been happy. She wasn't sure if this was a victory, or if she'd merely tricked her way into his company. She wanted to earn his respect, not force herself on him. She had to do it though. She couldn't show her strength unless she was at his side.

"Are you often left out of things because you're a woman?" Yugi asked a short time later.

"Not since I've joined the Academy. It was more of a problem when I was growing up. My district had only one Duel Parlor in it, and it was frequented by a bunch of boys who thought they owned the place. They let me play the first time I went there, because the leader thought he could beat me easily and show off to his friends." Alexis smiled fondly. "I beat him in five turns without taking any damage."

Yugi and Alexis came upon a monorail stuck on the tracks. Two of the doors on either side were forced open to rescue the passengers when the power went out. They walked through after stepping over many discarded shopping bags, food, and drinks, all tossed aside in the panic.

"After that, I could only duel when the Parlor hosted a tournament. I practiced my strategies online under a boy's name. I spent more time researching duels than doing them. Mindy thinks that's why I want to become a teacher when I graduate."

"Mindy?" Yugi asked.

"One of my friends," Alexis smiled. "She has a lot of your posters on her bedroom wall. She thinks I'm visiting my parents right now. She'd never forgive me if she knew the truth."

The walkway opened into an empty market. Five roads went to five different sections of Kaibaland. Other paths were marked for places of interest like the parking lot, private airport, and theater. Yugi found the road leading to Jurassic World.

"Jaden never told us about his Winged Kuriboh," Alexis said. "That it came from you. All he ever says is that it's his 'partner'."

"They were meant for each other," Yugi replied calmly, his eyes on the path ahead. "Most people think a duelist chooses their cards, but that's not always the case. Some cards choose the duelist."

Alexis tried not to sound as jealous as she felt. "So… you thought that Jaden was special?"

"In a way," Yugi replied cryptically. "But it was Winged Kuriboh's decision. Not mine."

Alexis never imagined that Yugi would believe in card spirits. Maybe he knew about the magical side of Duel Monsters. Maybe he could see card spirits the way Jaden could… the way she couldn't. Maybe that was why they were drawn together.

"He _is_ an interesting guy," Alexis said.

--

Jaden sneezed harshly. Tea blessed him.

"You should've worn a jacket," Mai criticized him.

"I _had_ my jacket before. I must've left it in the hotel room." Jaden whined. "I can't get sick. I'm on vacation!"

A glowing star child floated at Jaden's side. The creature bore a vague humanoid form and two slightly darker holes in the face to serve as eyes. The brightness of the creature was enough to bath everyone in light brighter than a street lamp. Neo-Spacian Glow Moss was a useful monster in Jaden's deck, but apparently it was also a useful ally in emergency situations, so long as you had a Duel Disk handy with which to summon him.

Syrus ran a hand through Glow Moss and watched its body ripple like water. Glow Moss clicked in an alien language, though Syrus knew its meaning from the creature's attitude – it didn't like being petted. "It's lucky for us you had Glow Moss on top of your deck. Otherwise you might never have found it in the dark."

"Just a good draw," Jaden said. "It'd really be lucky if we could find Yugi and the others. But I have no idea where they went."

A pair of circles pretending to be eyes appeared just over Syrus' shoulder. A pseudo-mouth appeared just underneath it. "I know where they are." Syrus screamed at the sudden intruder, but by then the face had already vanished. The group went on guard.

"Who's there?" Mai snapped. "Show yourself!"

The black face rose from the ground to neck level. "You tread on holy ground. Only the Ghouls may pass any farther."

"We're not going anywhere!" Jaden said. "Where are our friends?"

"They're around," the specter promised. "Our master has plans for the Duel King. As for the rest of you, you'll stay out of our way if you know what's good for you. This little adventure will be over in a few days and no one will be hurt as long as you cooperate."

Jaden wasn't going to repeat himself. "Either shuffle your deck, or get out of the way. We don't have time for games."

The Ghoul laughed. "What makes you so certain I'm here to duel?"

"Everyone knows the Ghouls are Rare Hunters," Bastion explained. "And any duelist can tell that you're a hologram projected by Kaiba Corp technology. To interface properly with that system, you must have a deck prepared."

The Ghoul disappeared and reappeared in a flash, at Mai's side. He grabbed the woman's hair and tugged it sharply. Mai spun around to punch him, but the area she struck went intangible instantly. He grabbed her arm and held her still. "I could simply use my hands to kill you. What then?"

Jaden trembled. This guy wasn't fooling around.

"…However," the Ghoul released Mai and returned to his original position, "there is something I need. The only way I can get it is by defeating you in a Duel. So, as it turns out, your friend is correct." The Ghoul waved his hand and caused forty holographic projections of cards to appear. They shuffled randomly around him in a wild whirl. "We duel."

_Something he needs. What could he get by beating me in a Duel?_ Jaden didn't know, but he wasn't going to back down for a second. The sooner he defeated this guy, the sooner he could find his friends. Or, perhaps, he could use this duel to his advantage. Maybe he could tell Yugi and the others that they were looking for them. But, how could Jaden get their attention when cell phones weren't working? He'd need something flashy…

"Allow me." The Ghoul raised his hand and let a soft light bathe the field. It was just enough so that the duelists could see each other, and by extension the cards they played.

Jaden shuffled Glow Moss into his deck. "Duel!"

The Ghoul's body shimmered as he started his turn. He held no cards, but as Bastion remarked, he had to have a deck in order to interface with the technology this way. Jaden didn't trust this guy, but he trusted Kaiba Corp's technology. They had more security on the Duel Server than they did on their own company.

"I'll summon Different Dimension Trainer, in Defense mode!" A bull-sized alien vehicle appeared at the Ghoul's side, ridden by a war-torn goblin with a wild grin on his face. (DEF 2000) "I'll set two cards face down and end my turn."

"My turn!" Jaden snatched five cards from his deck, and without fanning them out, drew the sixth. He looked at the drawn card and smirked. "Looks like this'll be a short fight. Because I just drew my key card!"

"Reverse card, open!" The Ghoul laughed as a giant sword stabbed into Jaden's drawn card, catching his hand in the process. The holographic sword had just enough force to knock his hand aside. An illusionary projection of Jaden's "Elemental Hero Neos" card appeared at his feet.

"Lightforce Sword removes a card in your hand from the game for 3 turns. And since I've removed one of your cards, I can summon this trap-monster!" The Ghoul's second card triggered, but the effects weren't immediately obvious until Jaden saw the black mist rising from his Neos. A dark mirror image of the elemental hero formed before floating over to the Ghoul's field. Neos' shadow glared at Jaden intensely. (D.D. Shadow of Neos – 7/2500/2100)

"Neos is on the enemy's field," Bastion said in awe. "Jaden's strongest monster is working against him."

Syrus analyzed further. "Not only that, but the guy has a seven star monster on his field on the first turn! That's not good!"

The Ghoul bowed slowly. "I'm glad you're impressed. Now, Jaden Yuki, I hope you're ready to lose. The boss has promised a big reward to the man who defeats you and brings him your Winged Kuriboh."

Jaden's eyes widened. "You want to take… my partner?"

"I _want_ to take that entire deck of yours. It's chock full of rare cards. But alas, the boss was very specific with our orders. So I'm afraid I'll have to settle for that little fur ball."

Jaden glared intensely. "Don't you call him that! You can never take my friend away from me. Never!" Jaden fanned out his initial hand for the first time since the duel began. "This duel ends now!"

The Ghoul laughed like the Devil himself. "Impossible! Not when I have your strongest monster on my field!"

"Magic card, E-Emergency Call!" Jaden flashed the card quickly before sending it to the graveyard. "This allows me to bring an Elemental Hero to my hand from the deck. The card I choose is my Burstinatrix!"

The Ghoul knew what was coming next. "A fusion monster. I know your strategy well. Burstinatrix can fuse with other Elemental Heroes to become Flame Wingman or Rampart Blaster. Neither of those is strong enough to defeat Neos."

Jaden continued his turn without pause. "Next I summon Elemental Hero Prismer, in Attack mode!" (4/1700/1100. Light/Warrior. Send a Fusion component from your deck to the graveyard. This card's name is treated as that card.) Jaden again snatched an Elemental Hero from his deck. "I'm sending my Avian to the graveyard so that Prismer can pretend to be him!"

The Ghoul waited eagerly. "Do your worst, Boy. I'm looking forward to crushing you."

Jaden slid another magic card into his disk. "And now, for my surprise! Double Fusion, activate!"

"What!?" shrieked the Ghoul.

(Double Fusion. Spell. Pay 500 LP to perform two Fusion Summons this turn.)

Jaden's life points dropped to 3500, but he didn't hesitate a bit. "Prismer-Avian fuses with the Burstinatrix in my hand to create Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!" The two heroes merged in a whirlpool of light before becoming the red and green scion of justice that got Jaden into Duel Academy in the first place.

"And finally, Flame Wingman fuses with the Sparkman in my hand to create, the one and only, Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman!" The entire district drowned in light as Shining Flare Wingman descended from the sky. His wings spread to their full span, giving an impressive display to the gathered crowd. "There's no way Yugi, Joey and Alexis won't see that!"

The Ghoul trembled in fear. "Impossible… on his first turn…"

Jaden pointed across the field at his target, like a sniper setting up his shot. "Shining Flare Wingman gains 300 points for every Elemental Hero in the graveyard, and I count five!" (Sparkman, Flame Wingman, Burstinatrix, Prismer, Avian)

"His attack power is 4000!" Not only was it higher than Neos, but it was also equal to the Ghoul's life points.

"Shining Flare Wingman still has Flame Wingman's super power, so any damage that your monster stops will carry over to you anyway. It's Lights Out for you, Pal."

"It can't be!"

"Shining Flare Wingman, rip this jerk a new one. Giga Flare!"

The glowing hero released all the energy it had in one torrent of holy fire. The Ghoul's side of the field went up in flames like a ton of TNT. The Ghoul's cry could barely be heard over the roar of the attack. When it was all over, there was nothing left but holographic scorch marks, which disappeared when Jaden set his Disk back into Standby Mode. Shining Flare Wingman remained in Jaden's card slot, so his light shined on the party just like Glow Moss did before.

"Wow," was all Bastion could say.

--

Yugi and Alexis turned simultaneously as the aftershocks from Shining Flare Wingman's attack washed across Kaibaland. "What was that?"

Alexis caught sight of the figure at the epicenter of the blast. "That's an Elemental Hero! Jaden must be dueling. But who?"

Two holographic Ghouls appeared as suddenly as the explosion had. Alexis gasped as the figures rose from the ground like a ghost. "Yugi Mutoh…"

"Rare Hunters!" Yugi knew their kind well. "So you're the ones who've taken control of Kaiba's theme park."

"You have something our master wants," the left-most Ghoul spoke.

"Silent Kaien," said the one on the right. Alexis could see surprise on Yugi's face. "Hand over the card and we'll let you live."

"And if we refuse?" Yugi said boldly.

The left Ghoul sprouted a monstrous, reptilian arm with three jagged claws. He gouged three thin trenches into the ground at his feet before retracting the limb into the folds of his robe. "Then the reign of the King of Games comes to an end," said the other.

"Your life against mine? Our bets are of equal value." Yugi primed his Duel Disk for battle. Alexis followed suit.

"A tag duel between two Ghouls, who train together from initiation," the right Ghoul gloated, "against the King of Games and a scared beginner. Your hasty decision will be your undoing, Yugi Mutoh."

The word 'beginner' stabbed into Alexis' heart. She almost dropped her fifth card. "I'm going first," she said quickly. "I draw the Arctic Warwolf!" A white-furred wolf-man appeared, wearing a ceremonial leather set and wielding a bone-tipped pike. (ATK 1600) "I also set one card face-down. _Turn Endo__-dah__!"_

The left Ghoul went next. "Archfiend Hollow!" An inky black demon rose from the earth like its player had earlier. (ATK 1400) "And the Hollow Mask increases its attack power by 500 points for every demon I play!" (ATK 1900) "_Ike!"_

The demon vanished into the shadows, only to reappear at the Warwolf's feet. Alexis cringed as her monster was destroyed in an instant and her team's life total dropped a notch (LP 3700).

"Like I said," the Ghoul went on, "a beginner. No matter how strong the King of Games is, his strength is undercut when his partner is too weak to defend herself."

"That's enough!" Yugi growled fiercely. Yugi played the Silent Swordsman. What manifested was a waist-high warrior with a man-size sword slung on his shoulder. (ATK 1000. This card gains a Level and 500 ATK at the start of your turn.)

"Trash like you don't have any pride of your own, so you try to take it from others. I'll teach you a lesson about strength!" Yugi activated the Time Jump magic card from his hand. A massive clock appeared above the field. The gigantic hour hand spun around three times before blinking out of existence. "This effect makes the Duel three turns older! That means my Silent Swordsman grows to Level 7!"

(Silent Swordsman Level 7. ATK 2500.) The newly powered-up swordsman slashed the Hollow in half, taking away a chunk of the enemy's life points in the process. (LP 3400) The mask that was on the demon attached itself to the Silent Swordsman. Yugi's monster wrestled with it vigorously, but the battle ended with the mask wrapped on the warrior's face.

"Activate the second effect of Hollow Mask! The monster that destroys its wearer is equipped by it. If the victim is not a Fiend, then it loses 500 ATK for every demon on the field!"

Yugi grimaced. Next turn, they would be sure to summon a new monster, and Silent Swordsman's attack strength would drop. He set a card to prepare for the coming battle and ended his turn.

The other Ghoul started his turn. "Magic card, Raviel's Army!" (Spell. Discard up to 5 cards from your hand. Special Summon a Phantasm Token for each card discarded. These tokens cannot attack.) In a flash, the Ghoul summoned three demonic beings to his playing field, each bearing the same expression of pleasure mixed with anger. (DEF 1000)

"And I also play Dark Jeroid, to further weaken your monster!" (ATK 1200)

Yugi was intimately familiar with this card; Marik Ishtar used it in Battle City, and many demonic decks still used it today. The monster took a bite out of Silent Swordsman the moment it was summoned, weakening its attack strength by 800 points. Combined with the effects of the Hollow Mask, the Silent Swordsman had no strength left. (ATK 0)

"Die!!" The Ghoul yelled. Dark Jeroid rushed for the Swordsman and opened its maw, ready to swallow him whole.

"Reverse card, open!" Yugi shouted, showing his trap. "Level Cannon!" (Trap. Remove up to 5 Level counters from a monster on your field. Deal 500 damage to the opponent's monsters times the number of counters removed.) "This card will destroy your Jeroid and your Phantasms!"

"I don't think so," said the acting Ghoul. "Fast magic, activate! Trap Tripper!" (Quickplay Spell. Pay 500 LP to negate the activation of a Trap card and destroy it.) One of the Phantasms burst into flames. "Your trap is no more!" (LP 2900)

Alexis opened her reversed card as well. "Fast magic, Instant Freeze!" (Quickplay Spell. Negate the activation of a Spell or Trap card and Set it face-down on the field. It cannot be activated for 3 turns.) An extremely cold wind washed over the field and turned the Trap Tripper card into a giant block of ice at the Ghoul's feet. At the same time, the Silent Swordsman downgraded to Level 4 as its three bonus Levels were consumed by the Level Cannon in order to wipe the enemy field clean. (ATK 200)

The Ghoul had no more cards left, so Alexis started her turn immediately. Silent Swordsman was still damaged by Dark Jeroid's effect, so even if it leveled up, it wouldn't stand a chance against any monster the enemy played. She had to replace it with a stronger monster.

"I sacrifice Silent Swordsman to summon my Cyber Prima!" The Hollow Mask attached to the swordsman went to the graveyard along with the warrior himself. In its place stood a silver-haired warrior in a sky blue jumpsuit with golden rings of various sizes adorning her form. (ATK 2300) Yugi's trap card cleared the field of monsters, so Cyber Prima had free reign. Alexis sent her after the left Ghoul who called her a beginner beforehand. The Ghoul yelled as Prima's attack sliced into his holographic body. (LP 600)

"Don't look down on me. I set a card face-down. My turn's over." Alexis looked over to Yugi, who smiled back with pride.

The damaged Ghoul growled angrily. "Insolent brat! You'll pay with your life! Draw!" The Ghoul snatched a card from the deck and revealed it immediately. "Rebellious Partner!"

Cyber Prima whirled around and made a direct attack on Yugi, violently reducing his and Alexis' life points and sending Yugi careening to the ground. (LP 1400) Alexis yelled his name and watched as Cyber Prima went to the enemy's side.

"With this, I can take one of your monsters," the Ghoul taunted. "But I can't summon anything else while this card's in play. So I'll end my turn. It will be nice to watch your own monster destroy you."

Yugi pulled himself to his feet. Alexis wanted to help him, but he waved her back. "I'm fine. _Ore no turn! _DRAW!" The Duel King observed his hand and the field calmly. Alexis did the same, though her critique was far more pessimistic than his.

_We're going to lose,_ she thought. _B__ecause of m__y monster_

"I activate the magic card, Azure Whistle!" (Spell. Exchange a card in your hand with the top card of either player's deck.)

The rightmost Ghoul laughed. "Is your hand so bad that you have to steal a card from us?"

"You're mistaken." Yugi pointed a thumb to his partner. "I'm exchanging cards with Miss Rhodes. I doubt your Fiend deck will have any cards I can use."

Alexis gulped. "Mister Mutoh, why wouldn't you just…" _Use your own dec__k_.

Yugi walked to her side and held out a card. "Trust me," he whispered. She took the offered card and handed over her top card. Alexis looked down at the card curiously before snapping it into her deck.

"And next I play the Diamond Whistle, which allows me to remove two Spell cards in my graveyard to special summon two Whistle Notes!" Yugi removed Time Jump and Azure Whistle from the game to bring two animated musical notes to the field. One was an eighth note; the other was a half note. (1/0/500)

"He's aiming for a high level summon," the leftmost Ghoul realized. "What card did he take from the girl?"

"Come forth! Ice Master!" Yugi sent the two notes to the graveyard before Alexis' prize monster descended from the sky. (ATK 2500) "Attack the Cyber Prima! Blizzard Blast!" In a flash, Cyber Prima was no more, and the Ghouls were down to 400 life.

"No matter what happens, Miss Rhodes," Yugi said, "have faith in yourself. A True Duelist never gives up."

"Bold words from a man on the brink of death," the rightmost Ghoul growled. He opened his arms wide and yelled to the sky. "Archfiend Assassin, in Attack Mode!" A vicious, knife-wielding warrior appeared on the field, its blade dripping with fresh blood. (4/1000/1500)

"A four star monster," Alexis said thoughtfully. "It must have some special ability for them to attack with it."

"Indeed it does," the Ghoul answered. "When Archfiend Assassin battles an opponent's monster, any damage we take from the battle is dealt to the opponent instead!"

"Oh no!" Yugi gasped.

"Oh yes! That means with this attack, it's Game Over for you, Yugi Mutoh!" The King of Games braced himself. "It's over!!" The Ghoul shrieked.

"Reverse card, open! Doble Passe!" (Trap. Activate when the opponent attacks one of your monsters. That attack is changed to a Direct Attack. The originally targeted monster may immediately launch a Direct Attack on the opponent.)

In a flash, Archfiend Assassin and Ice Master twirled around each other. The assassin went straight for Alexis and sliced her across the gut, making her double over in pain. (LP 400)

"Rhodes!" Yugi rushed to her side. Even as he did, the Ice Master unleashed her winter fury on the opposing Ghouls and eliminated their remaining life points. The Ghouls sank into the darkness, their holographic forms bursting into spent pixels before fading completely. "Rhodes!"

Alexis clutched her stomach tightly. For a second it felt like a real cut, but a brief glance at her waist revealed that she wasn't really injured, save for the punch to the gut the hologram left to simulate the damage from the battle. It hurt like Hell, but it wasn't fatal.

"_Daijo__u__bu da_" Alexis muttered. "I would gladly take the damage… for victory. A hit like this is nothing."

Kaiba had a little sister, Yugi saw. "You did well. Exactly what I expected from an Obelisk Blue of Duel Academy."

Alexis brushed her hair from her eyes. "Thank you."

The two Ghouls rose from the street once again and promptly burst into flames, their black visages taking on a startlingly frightening appearance. They cried like banshees and dove straight for the pair. "We're taking our prize, Yugi, one way or the other!!"

The rightmost Ghoul grabbed Alexis by the collar and tossed her aside like so much trash. She took a sharp blow to the head when she landed. The monsters descended on Yugi in tandem. Yugi punched the left Ghoul as hard as he could and caught him across the jaw, but the other Ghoul pounced unhindered and carried him away like the Wendigo of legend.

"Yugi!" Alexis shouted at the top of her lungs. Ice Master's card fluttered to Alexis' side. "Yugi!!"

Alexis' head spun. She couldn't move her legs . Her eyes closed, then opened again when she forced herself to stay awake. _Get up._ She pressed her hands on the ground and pushed, but her body refused to move. _Get, up._ She called on every ounce of strength she had and put one foot on solid ground, then another. Alexis managed to take a few steps, but her legs gave out.

"Yugi…" Alexis said weakly. A figure stood over her. In her daze, she couldn't make out anything more than a pair of black boots and the sound of chains sliding against steel. Her eyes clouded over as unconsciousness overtook her.

--

Alexis felt a warm, wet cloth on her forehead. That was the first sign that she was safe. The next clue were a pair of thin glasses perched on the nose of a familiar turquoise-haired boy looking over her. Today he wore the jacket of an Osiris Red, but he'd been in almost every house Duel Academy had to offer.

"Hey, she's awake," Syrus said to the others. Alexis realized she was lying on the living room couch of the hotel room she left earlier to follow Yugi and Joey. Yugi…

"Yugi!" Alexis sat up with a start. Her headache knocked her back down.

"Easy, easy," Tea said, now at her side and gently pressing the washcloth. "You're alright."

Alexis gathered her words with great effort. Her mind was still in a fog. "Yugi was… taken, by Ghouls."

Tea reacted dramatically. "No! He couldn't be!"

"So now he and Mokuba are both missing," Joey said grimly. He and Mai shared a worried look. "These guys are definitely up to something, and it isn't just Kaibaland they want."

Jaden leaned against the couch at Alexis' feet. She saw Bastion's worried face over his shoulder. "The Ghoul that attacked us was after Winged Kuriboh. There must be a connection."

Alexis sat up with great effort. That blow to the head made even the simplest movements difficult. "They said something about… Silent Kaien."

"Could it be a rare card like Winged Kuriboh?" Syrus thought aloud.

Mai leaned over the couch. "I've heard of Winged Kuriboh before, but Silent Kaien… that's a new one to me."

"Me too," Bastion said. "If Yugi has a card like that, it might be a tournament prize."

"We would know if it was, Hon'," Mai corrected him. "We do get rare cards for winning certain tournaments, but Silent Kaien isn't one of them. Are you sure you heard them right?"

Alexis nodded. "Yugi recognized the name. He definitely had that card. But if they took him, then those Ghouls have it."

"The Ghoul that attacked Jaden said he had to defeat him to get it," Syrus said. "Did you lose?"

"No! I didn't lose!" Alexis shouted, again triggering a painful headache. She lied down heavily. "We won the Duel, but then those guys attacked us and carried Yugi off. I couldn't do a thing to stop them."

Bastion hummed thoughtfully. "They must be planning to make him hand over the card. Or they might be using him as bait to attract one of their other targets." He looked at Jaden. "They might expect you to rescue him."

"That's what heroes do," Syrus agreed.

Jaden's attention wasn't on the conversation. For the past minute or so, he was staring at the Duel Disk beside the couch. Tea removed it from Alexis' arm after Joey carried her inside. Syrus was the first to speak up. "J? You okay?"

Jaden reached down and drew two cards from Alexis' deck, still in the Disk. The first card was Ice Master; Joey slipped it back inside when they found it beside the unconscious duelist. The second card made Jaden's eyes widen.

"What is it?" Alexis asked.

Jaden turned the card around for everyone's benefit. The picture was fantastic and highly detailed like all of Pegasus' paintings. It depicted a child-sized warrior. She was clad from head to toe in dark, jagged full plate wielding a mighty scimitar. Her helmet revealed very little of her face.

"Silent Kaien."

Alexis gasped. "How did that get in my deck?" It took her a moment to realize the truth. "Unless… Yugi. He planted it there when he used his magic card to exchange cards with me."

"He must have known this would happen," Joey said solemnly. His expression was just as sad as Tea's. "But Jaden, how did you know?"

The boy smiled innocently. "Just a hunch. What matters is that we've got it, and we've got to protect it from these guys."

"If it's a choice between a card and Yugi's life, they can have it," Tea said sharply.

Joey agreed. "I don't know what these guys want, but no card is worth a man's life."

"Even after everything we went through with Dartz and Pegasus and Marik, you say that?" Mai asked. "Some cards are a big deal."

"What are you saying?" Tea stood to speak with more force. "I know when Yugi had the Millennium Puzzle, there were people who tried to kill him because of these Duel Monster cards, but things are different now. Atemu isn't here anymore."

"That doesn't mean his enemies have vanished," Mai said back. "What's more, now that Yugi doesn't have that puzzle of his, he can't protect himself from guys like the Ghouls. To be honest, I'm surprised something like this hasn't happened-"

Tears crept from Tea's eyes. "… sooner." Mai sounded almost ashamed.

"So then, what do we do?" Bastion broke the tense moment delicately.

"We wait," Joey said.

"We're just going to do nothing?" Mai snapped.

Joey snapped back. "Yugi risked his life for this card." Mai was taken aback by his seriousness. "If we go back out there, it'll just be another chance for them to attack us. This is one time when we'd better leave it to Kaiba and his crew."

"And what are they gonna do? According to them, the park has been taken over by three guys! A lot of good they did in keeping us safe! I say we handle this ourselves. It's what Yugi would have done if we were the one who was captured."

"Yeah, well maybe I'm not as smart as Yugi was!" Joey barked. For a moment, Mai saw the fear in her husband's eyes. Now she understood his real concern. He felt it was his responsibility to save Yugi, and he was afraid that he couldn't do it.

"Joseph…" Mai touched him gently. He was trembling.

Jaden handed Alexis the card he drew. "Yugi entrusted this to you. He must have a lot of faith in you to give you something this important."

"What do you mean?" Alexis asked. She looked the card over. "What's so important about this card?"

"It's not the card, really," Jaden said mysteriously. "It's what's inside it. If those guys get a hold of it, we could be in a whole lot of trouble. That's why Yugi sacrificed himself to make sure you got away safely with it."

(Silent Kaien. 1/200/400. ???)

"A lot of lives will depend on our ability to Duel." Jaden took on an air of seriousness. "We mustn't give up, Alexis."

Alexis remembered Yugi's words from the Duel. _No matter what happens, have faith in yourself. A True Duelist never gives up._ She looked at the card and repeated the words over and over in her mind. Yugi's words sounded like a teacher criticizing his student. Did Yugi really trust her with something as important as Jaden claimed? Or had he simply ditched a weak card in favor of something stronger?

"Let's get some sleep," Joey said. "You heard the Ghoul before; this little 'adventure' will last a few days. Better get our rest while we can." He looked at Mai's somber expression and reluctantly went to the adjoining hotel room where the two of them were staying.

Mai touched Tea's shoulder. "Will you be alright, Hon'?"

"I think so," she said. Although she put up a strong front, Mai knew that Tea was an emotional girl. She probably wouldn't sleep a wink. Nevertheless, Mai would let her do as she pleased. She just had to make sure she was there to catch the poor girl when she fell down and cried again.

Mai left the room for the night, and the male duelists shared their concerns in a quiet conversation in one of the bedrooms. Tea offered to help Alexis to the remaining room to sleep in private, but she declined. She didn't want to be a burden, and she was comfortable enough on the couch. Tea offered again, but again Alexis declined, so finally the woman retired to her room and bade her Good Night. Alexis watched her leave with sorrow. She felt responsible for the woman's sadness, since she was the only one who could have saved Yugi from being kidnapped.

Alexis didn't sleep for many hours. She contemplated the card from Yugi's deck. Was it a gift to a fellow duelist, or a _sako _monster discarded to the newbie's deck? Alexis trusted Jaden to be honest, but she had doubts about his judgment.

Why would a card be so important that the King of Games had to give it to her for safekeeping? What could she do that he couldn't? Even as sleep came, Alexis didn't have an answer. The only man who could answer her questions was imprisoned. She would have to find him if she wanted answers.

She had to bring Yugi back. If he died because of her, she would never forgive herself.


	3. Love Letters

Ikonnu slammed her fist on the desk and made her laptop shake enough to affect the feed she used to communicate with her underlings. The Ghouls operated in tandem within Kaibaland and from without thanks to Ikonnu's careful planning and communication. When they disobeyed her orders, chaos ensued. If there was one thing Ikonnu hated, it was chaos.

"Vio has made it clear to you," Ikonnu growled at her laptop's camera attachment. "If we don't defeat the duelists carrying those Card Spirits, then the cards will be useless! It's a ritual, and rituals have to follow rules! Do you understand that, cretin?"

"You're asking us to defeat the King of Games in his game of choice," the Ghoul replied. "That simply cannot be done. I thought it would be simpler if we-"

"No one asked you to _think_! You were asked to fight!" Ikonnu slammed the desk again. "The next time you disobey orders, I'll see to it that you stop playing card games and instead use AK-47s and dynamite vests like the _dumb_ terrorists do. Have I made myself clear?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" The feed ended and Ikonnu shut her laptop with a loud _clang_. She folded her arms and crossed her legs, as if trying to contain the anger trying to claw its way from her stomach.

Grenadi spoke softly. "You didn't discuss with him that other problem. The card we're after wasn't in Yugi Mutoh's deck when we searched him."

"I know for a fact he had the card during the duel. Our tap into the Duel Server that lets our operatives appear here as holograms also allows me to read the logs of every duel that takes place. He drew Silent Kaien during that battle."

"And if it's not on him, or at the site of the battle?"

Ikonnu smiled lightly. "Then he handed it off to the girl. Which means she is our new target."

Grenadi nodded. "This will work in Vio's favor. It should be easier to defeat her compared to the King of Games."

The woman sighed thoughtfully. "Vio. Does he really think those Card Spirits will help us?"

"He believes in the occult."

"So did Hitler," Ikonnu said. "And look where it got him."

"You've devoted more time to this mission than any of us. You spent a year making yourself one of Kaibaland's most trusted operatives. If you have your doubts, why did you agree to help him?"

"I have my doubts," she said, "but I also have faith. I may not know Vio's plan, but I do believe in him. I know that he wants wealth and power just as much as we do. I just wish I knew how two little cards will get us what we want."

"Cards with spirits inside them will fetch a high price in certain circles."

"But not high enough. Vio promised us the ultimate power. Whatever he has in mind… it's bigger than making a quick buck off a kilo of cards like we usually do." Ikonnu stood and straightened her uniform. Kaibaland's women wore short skirts as part of their attire. You graduate with a P.H.D. in computer engineering, but you still have to look attractive for your male superiors.

"The Ghouls suffered near total losses ever since Marik Ishtar left us years ago. Barely a hundred operatives remained. Only now, ten years later, do we have enough people to stage an operation like this. Vio knows how important this mission is to the organization's survival. You can be sure that when he promises the ultimate power, he will deliver it. All we have to do is get him the cards he needs to unleash it."

Ikonnu looked at her watch – shortly after midnight. "I think it's time I paid that little girl a visit. Prepare the Cyber Pod for me." Grenadi bowed and left the control room immediately.

--

Alexis called for the attack of her Cyber Tutu. It's direct strike reduced the enemy's life points to zero, ending the duel. The Obelisk Blue boy fell to his knees and lamented his loss. Even as Alexis turned to leave, the boy shouted at the top of his lungs, "But I love you so much, Alexis Rhodes! Please, give me another chance!"

Jasmine and Mindy watched Alexis' admirer cry out his love. They joined their friend as she left the Duel Field. "That's the third boy this week who used a Love Letter deck against you," Mindy said, "and the seventh this month."

Jasmine was nonplussed. "Seriously, can't these guys be creative? Ever since Chazz let Alexis' brother talk him into making a deck like that, all the boys have been doing it. Really, it's so annoying!"

"Well," Mindy cooed, "it was cute at first." Jasmine disagreed wholeheartedly.

"I swear, if I see another 'Love Letter', I'm punching the guy in the face," Alexis promised. Her friends were stopped by one of the quieter girls in the Obelisk Blue dorm. Bright was a green-haired girl with bright blue eyes hidden behind thin glasses. She was usually very serious, but also very shy. Direct damage decks were her specialty.

"_Rhodes-san_, I would like a duel with you… please." She held up her deck proudly. "I've much to show you in this fight."

The bottommost card was very clearly a Love Letter card.

Alexis clenched her fists almost as tightly as her teeth, but she managed a careful, calm reply. "Perhaps some other time, _Luma__-san_." Alexis hurried off, with Mindy and Jasmine right behind her, leaving Bright to shrug nonchalantly. She thought the second top duelist in Obelisk Blue would enjoy seeing her new Control deck. Perhaps some other time.

"I can't wait to go Pro," Alexis muttered. "I bet _Mutoh-san_ and _Kaiba-san_ never have to put up with this crap."

"What about Mai Valentine and Vivian Wong?" Mindy asked. "Those two were just in the Miss Duel Monsters pageant and had to duel wearing nothing but-"

"I'm not going to be like that!" Alexis said sharply. "I duel for pride, not for fun or to entertain a bunch of drooling boys who think I wear this tight uniform because I enjoy it!"

"Aww, I think our uniforms are cute." Jasmine shook her head. The bubbly Mindy was the worst person to talk to when Alexis was in one of her moods.

"I want to be remembered because of my strength, not because of my looks," Alexis growled. "My strength!"

_My strength..__ my strength…._

Alexis awoke to the sound of the hotel room's wall-mounted clock chiming Twelve. She grumbled quietly. Sleeping on the living room couch was harder than she thought. There were so many little noises to contend with. If it wasn't the clock, then it was the refrigerator.

Alexis sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her head still ached from the blow she took during her fight with those Ghouls, and her heart still weighed heavily on Yugi's disappearance. She wished there was more she could do to help him. If those Ghouls hurt him, or worse… she would never forgive herself. But Mister Wheeler made it clear that the best thing to do was wait for professional help. This situation was too dangerous to handle on their own.

She couldn't sleep with these thoughts in her mind. So Alexis turned on the lamp resting on the coffee table and reached for her cards. As luck would have it, one of the others left their deck on the table as well. Alexis could play a little solitaire to pass the time until she was tired enough to fall back asleep.

Alexis slipped five cards from the other deck to the table and drew five of her own. She slowly reached for the other deck and drew the sixth card. The card in the picture was an animated vehicle – this one a high-end motorcycle – with low offensive strength but useful abilities. This was clearly Syrus' deck. He had good cards and a well-balanced deck. If only he could focus on his studies instead of skipping classes whenever Jaden wanted to go play, he might have stayed in Obelisk Blue for longer than a few weeks at a time.

Alexis played out a pseudo-duel with Syrus' deck until she won, and then repeated the process. She wondered if Syrus ever got a chance to duel with one of the Pros before all the strangeness happened in the park. She hoped so; the little guy rarely stood up for himself and could have easily been pushed aside by Jaden and Bastion. Knowing Jaden, he probably made sure Syrus got his turn.

Jaden… he was so calm about Yugi's card. Did he see something she didn't? What did he know that put him so at ease?

Footsteps alerted Alexis to someone at the door. She waited expectantly for a knock, but when none came, she stood to investigate the matter further. She peered through the peephole, but it was too dark to see anyone there. She clearly heard footsteps outside though. They were stepping away from the door, heading towards the elevator and the stairwell.

Alexis opened the door slowly. Hanging from the handle was the choker that went with Yugi's famous black dueling uniform. It was the same choker that originally held the Millennium Puzzle.

"Yugi…!" Alexis grabbed her Duel Disk and rushed into the hall, gently closing the door behind her. She took Yugi's choker and squeezed it as she vowed to find whoever left this and make them pay.

Alexis found the elevator and saw no evidence that it was in use. The footsteps she heard before echoed in the stairwell, so she went inside and pinpointed them somewhere two floors above. Alexis raced up the stairs, picking up speed as the footsteps did the same. Whoever she was following knew she was there and didn't want to be found. Alexis wasn't going to let them get away. She was as fast and agile as any skater.

In time, Alexis reached the rooftop access. The door to the roof swung closed after her target ran through it. Alexis barreled outside and shouted "Stop!" in a loud, clear voice. Her quarry stood at the very edge of the roof. One step more and the person would fall to the streets far below. The night wind kicked up the interloper's black robe.

"You're in good shape, I see," said a woman's voice, startling Alexis a bit. The Ghoul turned around. The voice was different, but the clownish, drawn-on expression was exactly the same. "I was worried that you couldn't keep up with me."

Alexis' life points went to 4000. Her gun was cocked. "Tell me where Mister Mutoh is."

"I might… if you win." The Ghoul took a few steps from the edge and walked to within dueling distance. "But if I win, you hand over his card."

"I'm not handing this card over to anyone," Alexis declared. "Not when Mister Mutoh's life is at stake because of it."

The Ghoul bowed her head low. "Then I'll do you a favor. I'll tell you where he is for free." She pointed towards the east, where a glowing citadel stood amidst the black night. "The Fortress on the Mountaintop. There is only one way inside. If you win, I'll tell you what it is."

"Why are you telling me this?" Alexis asked with concern. She didn't trust an enemy who was this friendly.

"Because a duel isn't fair unless the antes are of equal value," the woman said, her body glowing as she summoned five holographic images of cards to her side. "I want the card that Yugi gave you, so it's only natural that your prize for winning is the means to get your hero back."

Alexis frowned. This was a hologram, like the other Ghouls before. But this one was different. This woman wasn't just another thug. She had to be one of the three Mai spoke of. What's more, she spoke of honor and fairness. Was she trying to lure Alexis into a false sense of security? The only way to know for sure was to fight the duel and see what kind of person she was.

"Alright." Alexis drew five cards. "I'll agree to your terms. So long as you hold up your end of the bargain when I win, Ghoul."

"Ikki."

"Excuse me?"

"Call me Ikki," the Ghoul said, drawing her sixth card. "We're friends now, aren't we, 'Lex'?"

Alexis snatched her sixth card. "_Watashi__ no turn!_ Draw!" She immediately flashed a ritual card. "My first move is to activate the spell card, Dance of the Snow Goddess! I sacrifice the Snow Sprite in my hand to summon this ritual monster!" A white-clad woman landed explosively from the sky, her body sparkling with snowflakes and heavenly light. Her eyes were sharp as icicles. Her feet were bare and left patches of ice wherever she stepped.

"Let the silver snow fall! Dance, Shirahime!" Alexis called, placing the ritual monster on the field.

(Shirahime. 4/1900/1200. Light/Fairy/Ritual. Tribute this card to summon "The Ice Queen" from your hand or deck. It cannot attack on the turn it was summoned this way.)

Alexis pointed at the sky. "And now, with Shirahime's special ability, I can bring to the field my strongest monster!" Shirahime cast her robe aside, baring her glowing body to all. She put on a white and blue dress, cape, and crown in its stead. (ATK 2900)

The duelist crossed her arms defiantly. "_Turn Endo."_

Ikonnu hummed her approval. "You're certainly energetic, aren't you. I'll match your enthusiasm! Draw!" A sixth card went into the Ghoul's collection of holograms. One spun around to reveal itself. "Queen's Knight, _kougeki__!"_ An armored knight appeared at the Ghoul's side, her sword glowing in the dim light. (ATK 1500)

Alexis recognized the monster immediately. Yugi used it in Battle City as a means to quickly summon his god card, Sky Dragon Osiris. More than that, Queen's Knight could combine with King's Knight and Jack's Knight to create a powerful fusion monster. The cards needed to complete the fusion were rare even today, but if anyone had the cards needed to perform that fusion, it would be one of the Rare Hunters.

"I know what you're thinking. I must be trying to pull off a combination with the other Knights."

Alexis lifted an eyebrow. "That's the only reason anyone would use Queen's Knight. She's useless on her own."

"That's where you're wrong. My knight doesn't need a man's support." Another card appeared from Ikonnu's hand. "Lightning Blade!" Alexis cringed as the knight's sword glowed with a powerful electric current.

(Lightning Blade. Equip only to a Warrior. Increase its ATK by 800 and decrease the ATK of all WATER monsters by 500.)

Against Alexis' deck, such a card was lethal. Even though her Ice Queen's attack power dropped to 2400, it was still higher than the Queen's Knight by 100 points. Alexis' monster was safe unless the Ghoul had another way to power up her warrior.

"I'll set one card face down and end my turn." Ikonnu matched Alexis' stance. "Now show me if you're brave enough to attack, Lex."

Alexis remained dispassionate, even though she hated that nickname. It was simply the Ghoul's attempt to make her lose her head. It wouldn't work. "_Watashi__ no turn. _Draw."

(Alexis' hand: Cross Counter Trap, Mother Grizzly, Hail Blast, Instant Samsara)

_I don't have a card to destroy her trap. If I attack carelessly, my Ice Queen may __die__ But if I don't attack, she may power up her monster again. __That card may be a bluff, or it may be something to boost her monster's strength. __What to do…_

"What's the matter, Lex? Lost your nerve already?"

Alexis decided that it was best to attack. She had cards in her hand to protect herself from an attack next turn if things went wrong. She couldn't give the Ghoul time to collect cards. "If you want me that badly, Rare Hunter, then here I am! Ice Queen, attack her knight!" The Ice Queen moved into action, her hand glowing with blue energy as she summoned the power of cold.

"So you attacked after all? I'm proud of you, Lex. You're not afraid to fight." Again, Alexis was surprised by her reaction. The Ghoul continued. "But my knight isn't that easy to defeat. Reverse card, open!"

(Last Resort. Trap. Activate this card when the opponent attacks. Activate a Field spell from your deck.)

"What?" Alexis hadn't expected a trap like that. What kind of field did she want?

"Queen's Knight, stay strong!" The Ice Queen's attack swept over the warrior and completely engulfed her. Ikonnu's life points decreased to 3900, so Alexis knew that her attack hit dead-on. What was going on?

(The Knight's Bridge. Field Spell. If a player controls only one monster and it is in Attack position, it is not destroyed in battle. If a monster loses a battle, increase its ATK by 300. If a monster wins a battle, decrease its ATK by 300.)

(Ice Queen's ATK: 2100. Queen's Knight's ATK: 2600)

Alexis gasped lightly. "Her monster's attack points increased."

"That's right. 'Knight's Duel' ensures that both monsters fight with honor. My Queen isn't going to lose to a duelist like you!" Ikonnu drew and promptly declared her strike. "Queen's Knight! Lightning Strike!!" Alexis shielded herself as the warrior sliced into her monster and sent shards of ice sprinkling all over the field. Alexis' life dropped to 3500.

(Ice Queen's ATK: 2400. Queen's Knight's ATK: 2300)

"Two cards face down. _Turn Endo-__dah_"

Alexis was surprised to see her Ice Queen still on the field. It took her a moment to realize that the field card triggered for her as well since she had only one monster in play and it was attacking. If she summoned another monster, or if she switched her Ice Queen to Defense position, the spell wouldn't work for her anymore. She suspected that Ikki – that the Ghoul didn't plan on summoning another monster while her Queen's Knight was in play. It truly was going to fight alone.

"Now do you understand? I will fight by myself. My strength alone is enough to defeat anyone!"

_My strength._ Alexis drew her next card. _Enough to defeat anyone…_

"I summon Mother Grizzly in Defense mode!" A dark-furred bear curled into a protective posture, as if guarding her young. (DEF 1000) "And I'll end this turn without attacking!"

Ikonnu was again impressed. A naïve duelist might have attacked despite the trap cards on her field. Alexis was careful when she needed to be, and aggressive when she could be. She was well trained.

"I draw!" Ikonnu declared. "Reverse card, open! Strike Slash!" (Trap. Your monster gains 700 ATK and deals Piercing damage until the end of the turn.) "Queen's Knight, attack the bear!"

Alexis' monster was sliced to ribbons by the Queen's Knight. Because of the trap card, Alexis took a serious hit to her life points (Alexis: 1500).

"Activate the special effect of my monster! When it is destroyed in a battle, I can summon a Water monster from my deck with 1500 attack points or less! And the card I choose is… Hail Cyber!" (ATK 1300) The futuristic warrior assumed an attack stance. Alexis snatched a card from her deck and began her counterattack. "Magic card, Hail Blast!" Hail Cyber drew her hands back before unleashing a cone of cold and burying the field in arctic winds.

(Hail Blast. Place an Ice counter on all the opponent's monsters. If "Hail Cyber" is on your field, reduce all the opponent's monsters with Ice counters on them to 0 ATK.)

"Ice Queen, Hail Cyber. Do it!" The monsters combined their offensive abilities into one devastating strike. A snow storm covered the field. When the storm cleared, a single card stood over Queen's Knight, protecting her from harm and keeping Ikonnu's life intact.

(Negate Attack. Negate the attack of an opponent's monster and end the Battle Phase.)

"Damn."

"Close." Ikonnu made a show of wiping the sweat from her brow, although she wore a mask. "Your attack was certainly exciting, but it's too early to end things now."

Alexis set a card before ending her turn. "You're right. The duel's just beginning."

Ikonnu studied the field carefully. Hail Cyber (ATK 800) and Ice Queen (ATK 2400) were both weakened by the Lightning Blade equipped to her knight (ATK 2300), giving her a huge advantage. Alexis was already down to 1500 points, while Ikonnu remained at 3900. She was dominating. If she attacked the weaker monster, she would win and the Silent Kaien card would be hers. But she couldn't get careless.

"One more card, face down! Queen's Knight, attack!" The warrior went straight for Hail Cyber, ready to slice her in half, and Alexis with her. But Alexis wasn't ready to die just yet.

"Trap card, _hatsudo_Blizzard Curtain! This will switch Hail Cyber to Defense mode and put an Ice counter on your monster when it destroys my monster! That makes two counters!_"_ Even as Alexis said this, Queen's Knight cut Hail Cyber down and returned to her side of the field. The knight's armor was more ice than steel by now.

"You're barely holding on now, aren't you."

"I'm getting ready to attack! You see, your field spell works to my advantage too! Since your monster won a battle just now, it loses 300 points." Ikonnu gasped as she realized that was the truth. (Queen's Knight: 2000 ATK)

Alexis began her turn immediately. She drew with enthusiasm and smirked at the card at her fingertips. "I'm activating the Absolute Ice Wall!" The field changed to a winter wonderland surrounded on all sides by glacial walls. Ikonnu's field spell exploded into nothingness.

"What's more, because of the Ice Wall, your knight loses 1000 points due to the Ice counters on her. Which means I have the advantage!" Ice Queen tossed a frozen comet across the field that annihilated Ikonnu's monster completely. (Ikonnu: 2000 LP)

"Give it up, Ghoul. It's over."

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm still in the lead," Ikonnu told her. "And since you've destroyed my monster, I can activate this trap card."

(Rope of Soul. Trap. Pay 1000 LP to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower monster from the deck.)

Alexis stared intensely. "A special summon from the deck… who is she calling?" Ikonnu's life dropped to 1000, but as a result she called her key card to the field.

(Paladin Knight. 4/3000/1600. Halve this card's ATK if your LP are greater than your opponent's. You must remove a Normal Monster in your graveyard from the game to attack with this card.) The monster looked like Queen's Knight in most respects, but her armor was much more extravagant and she topped out at almost nine feet in height.

Alexis couldn't believe it. "Attack power, 3000!?"

"My turn!" Ikonnu drew her hand to four. "Destroy the Ice Queen!" Alexis covered herself as the paladin's giant sword swung over her head and cleaved the queen in two. (Alexis: 1400 LP)

"Next, I'll summon the Mystical Elf to further protect me." (DEF 2000) "Not that I'll need any protection. Your field is empty and I have 3000 attack points bearing down on you. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

Alexis gripped the choker hanging from her belt. She would win, no matter what. Yugi's fate depended on her victory.

Alexis drew and twirled her card around. "I'll use Pot of Greed to draw two more cards. Next I'll play Instant Samsara, a magic card that lets me use monsters in my graveyard for a Ritual Summon if they've already been used once that way." The Snow Sprite in Alexis' graveyard appeared on the field briefly before disappearing from the game entirely. "Cyber Angel Hotei, come out!"

A massive robotic bed with crab-like limbs appeared, and reclining atop it was a slim, sexy woman dressed in armor and decorations similar to those of Alexis' other Cyber Angels. Her mannerisms were slothful and unaggressive, befitting her nature. (4/700/2000, Light/Fairy, If this card is Ritual Summoned successfully, gain 1000 LP.)

(Alexis: 2400 LP)

"Do you really think that's going to help you? My monster can destroy Hotei in an instant."

"Hotei isn't who you need to worry about," Alexis said. She calmly placed one of her cards into the Duel Disk. The clank of metal alerted Ikonnu to the card's nature. A warrior in black armor stepped onto the field from Alexis' right flank. (ATK 200)

(Silent Kaien. 1/200/400. This card can attack the opponent directly. This card gains two Levels when a player receives a Direct Attack.)

"Congratulations, Lex." The Ghoul applauded. "You're the first person to ever summon Silent Kaien. Not even Yugi has tried to use it. Do you know why?"

Alexis gave no answer.

"The strategies needed to make her useful are difficult, and even if they succeed, the chances of losing the game are high. In short, she's not worth using."

"Then she's a lot like Queen's Knight, isn't she."

Ikonnu's irritation was hidden behind a mask. That was all that kept her rage from being obvious. "Cute. I suppose a little girl like you is excited by the chance of using one of Yugi's cards, but alas, your naivety will be your undoing. I know you're smart enough not to leave your monster defenseless, so it's clear from your play what your plan is."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. You plan to attack me directly so that Silent Kaien can grow to Level 3. Then you'll use a trap of some sort to defend her during my turn so that you can attack again with her 1200 points and finish me off."

Alexis cringed. Ikonnu's laugh taunted her. "So I was right, then. I suspect your card is Negate Attack, just like mine was. All the good duelists use it." Ikonnu shrugged and held out her hands. "No matter what the card is, I assure you that it's meaningless."

"We'll see about that. Silent Kaien, attack the Ghoul! _Stairway to Hades!_" Kaien disappeared and reappeared so quickly that both duelists lost track of her for a moment. During the movement, Ikonnu took a blow to the back that knocked her to her knees. (Ikonnu: 800 LP)

"At this time, Silent Kaien levels up!" (Kaien: 3/1200/1400)

Ikonnu stood and groaned angrily. "Well?"

Reluctantly, Alexis placed a card on her field. "One card, face down. My turn is over."

The Ghoul growled happily. "Good girl. My turn! Draw!" Ikonnu didn't care what the new card was – a quick glance told her it was a Normal Monster. The card she needed to win was already in her hand. "Cyclone!" (Quickplay Spell. Destroy 1 Spell or Trap on the field.)

"What!?" Alexis cried. A small twister swept across the field, and Alexis' trap card was taken with it before being destroyed entirely.

"Kaien is too difficult for a neophyte to use properly," Ikonnu jeered. "She'll be much better off with me." Ikonnu pulled another magic card from her hand and activated it quickly. "Foolish Burial! Send a monster from my deck to the cemetery! The card I choose is 'Ancient Elf', which I will remove from the game so that my Paladin Knight can attack!"

Alexis stared in awe as the massive monsters leaped high into the night sky. Its trajectory would bring it to Kaien, who waited motionlessly for the end to come.

"Accept your loss!" Ikonnu shouted.

The attack struck with the intensity of a bomb. But to Ikonnu's surprise, Kaien seemed to avoid the attack entirely by leaping out of the way. In her stead stood the Snow Sprite to take the blow (DEF 700). The monster shattered into a million pieces before Paladin Knight's might.

"Impossible! There were no traps on the field! How did you-!"

Hovering at Alexis' side was a card bearing the image of an angel coming down from heaven. (Miraculous Descent. Summon a Fairy that has been removed from the game.)

"You were right about my strategy," Alexis said, motioning to her left, "but wrong about the specifics." The tattered depiction of a card appeared there. Ikonnu realized that it was the trap she destroyed with her Cyclone a few moments ago. There was no way it could have activated, unless…

(Cross Counter Trap. If this card is destroyed, you can activate a trap from your hand this turn.)

Since Alexis had no cards left in her hand, that meant that Miraculous Descent was the last card she had. Ikonnu couldn't believe it! Alexis knew she would destroy her trap card, so she kept it in her hand and used the decoy instead! What's more, she summoned her Cyber Angel not to gain life, but specifically to remove her Snow Sprite from the game so that the trap could be sprung. It was the perfect play.

"It's still your turn, _Ikki__-san_." Alexis pointed to her opponent. "Make your move."

Ikonnu stared at her hand. All these cards, and not one that could protect her. "Turn… _Turn Endo._"

Alexis drew with lightning quickness. "Kaien!" Just as quickly, the dark warrior shot across the field like a bullet, past the towering Paladin Knight and the Mystical Elf to strike Ikonnu directly. The Ghoul fell to her knees as the last of her life points were spent and her holographic form suffered a blow that would be fatal to a normal person. Due to the synchronization of the Cyber Pod that projected her image, the pain of the attack was just as real as an actual pain. Ikonnu actually felt like her stomach was sliced open. She knew she wouldn't die. She would be fine when she disconnected, but the pain would be excruciating while it lasted.

Alexis stood over the Ghoul and asked coldly, "How do I get to Mister Mutoh?"

--

Vio descended the stairwell leading to the control room basement, which now doubled as his prison. Ikonnu's virus gave him control of all of Kaibaland and all the holographic projection suites within it, which meant he could place any hologram he wanted anywhere he wanted. The Nightmare Steel Cage in the basement was Grenadi's idea. It seemed fitting that the Duel King and the Vice President of Kaiba Corp be trapped by a Duel Monster card.

Mokuba saw Vio first. "_Te-me!!_ Let us out of here!"

"I see that both of you are awake." Vio saw Yugi staring at him from within the cage, but he made no aggressive moves. Mokuba had enough aggression for the both of them. "Welcome to my castle."

Mokuba swore and pushed away from the cage. "What is it you want with us? I can assure you my brother will make your life a living hell if you screw around with his park. I intend to do the same when I get out of here."

"Such bite in your words," Vio said with amusement. "You are certainly your brother's brother."

"He is right though," Yugi said. "_Kaiba-kun_ will not forgive this affront."

"I'm not worried about Seto Kaiba. Not yet, at any rate. If we are unable to obtain the Winged Kuriboh card, then I will certainly go after Kaiba's Blue-Eyes. The spirit in there will appease me just the same."

Yugi didn't like this. Vio spoke of Card Spirits so casually. Could he see spirits?

"When I was a boy, I played Duel Monsters in Domino City just like you. I wasn't as good, of course, but I held my own. I bought cards like a good little consumer, always anxious to improve my deck, partly because I enjoyed the challenge, and partly because of my desire to prove my strength. It wasn't long before I found my partner."

"Partner?"

Vio reached into his robe and pulled out one card. Yugi gasped when he saw it.

"I see you recognize it. I knew you would. There are only a few like it in the world. But as far as I know, this is the only one that holds a spirit of its own."

Yugi confirmed with his own eyes what Vio suggested. That card had a spirit sleeping inside it. It wasn't just any spirit though…

"A spirit of destruction. Do you know what would happen if it were to awaken, _Yugi__-kun_?"

"You can't! If such a spirit awoke, the world would be-"

"Destroyed. Completely, utterly devoid of life." Vio turned the card around. It was the Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End. "Purged by fire."

"One card can't destroy the world," Mokuba claimed. "Not even the Gods could do that."

"Says the boy who understands so little about magic, and politics." Vio slipped his card back into the folds of his robe. "The Gods exist to protect the world and its people, so naturally their powers are kept in check, regardless of what duelist is controlling them. Even when Master Marik commanded the God of Ra, the god kept some of its power at bay, so as not to hurt any but its intended target."

"Chaos Emperor Dragon is different," Yugi said. "When it is unleashed, it kills recklessly. The spirit would wipe out every living thing without hesitation, for that is its only purpose."

"Precisely." Vio turned and paced across the room. "If I summon the dragon successfully and unleash it on the country of my choice – say, America or Britain – I can do more damage in one second than any other terrorists have done combined. But sadly, the only way to summon the full power of a Card Spirit is in a Shadow Game, and what's more, the only way to invoke Chaos Emperor Dragon is through the tribute of Card Spirits. So I've spent my entire life searching for cards with spirits inside them, so that I might used them to awaken my own."

"One born of the Light… and one born of the Dark." Understanding dawned on Yugi. "That's why you're after Winged Kuriboh and Silent Kaien. You wish to use them as sacrifices."

"That's right. When I've defeated the duelists who hold those cards, they will belong to me. I will awaken the dragon and bring it into our world. When that happens, any country who resists me will be bathed in fire," Vio said happily. "It will be me who rules the world. Chaos will reign!"

Yugi rushed to the edge of the cage and made a grab for Vio's robe, but the card hunter stepped back to avoid him. "You madman! If you do this, millions of people will die! You cannot control such a monster!"

"Have faith, Duel King. I can do anything I want, if I put my mind to it." Vio turned to leave. "By the way, I must remind you that if those children die in my little Shadow Game, then it will be your fault. The only Dark Card Spirits our research could turn up are Silent Kaien and the Kuriboh and Dark Magician cards that you used ten years ago. But, it seems that you've buried _that_ deck in Egypt, along with that precious puzzle of yours. Such a waste."

Yugi kicked the cage enough to make it rattle, but it refused to give way.

"I have no choice but to make those children pay for your cowardice." Vio's laughter echoed to every corner of the fortress.

--

Bastion awoke around seven in the morning. Jaden and Syrus rested together on the other half of the bed, the taller boy's arms around the smaller. No doubt they would push each other apart when they awoke, but for now they were comfortable together. Bastion thanked the gods that Jaden hadn't grabbed him in the middle of the night. He was notoriously grabby.

He took his time in the shower, since he didn't think the others would wake up any time soon. This might be a good time for him to discuss recent events with Alexis. She was a morning person as well. Perhaps he could impress her with a sensible breakfast.

Bastion dressed and made his way to the living room as quietly as possible. "Alexis?" he whispered. "Are you awake?"

The couch was empty. A few cards were scattered across the table and the lamp was left on. Alexis was nowhere to be seen. Bastion thought about checking Mrs. Mutoh's room to see if Alexis bunked with her later in the night, but he couldn't work up the courage to knock on the pretty woman's door. Besides, it was more likely that Alexis went out for a breath of fresh air. Bastion would check the terrace at the end of the hall.

He opened the door and was surprised to see Alexis standing there reaching for the handle. Her outfit had changed since last night. Black pants and black boots covered her long legs. Her belt had holsters for her deck, her cell phone, and her Duel Academy PDA. She wore a half white, half black shirt that hugged her body closely. Black and white gloves covered her hands much like the blue ones she wore with her school uniform. Around her neck was a black choker that looked… familiar. Bastion couldn't think about it too deeply; he was distracted by Alexis' appearance as a whole.

"_Misawa-kun_You startled me." Alexis stepped inside once Bastion gave her room to move past. He closed the door slowly and turned equally methodically. He watched as Alexis reclined on the couch and breathed a deep, relaxing sigh, as if she'd just finished a long workout. She looked very tired, which made her characteristic cool detachment seem even colder.

"I changed clothes in our room downstairs," Alexis said. "I also made a few… adjustments to my deck."

"How long have you been up?" Bastion took a seat beside her.

Alexis glanced at the clock. "Since midnight." She hadn't realized it was so late in the day. She expected to come back to a quiet room.

"Midnight? You mean you haven't slept at all?"

Alexis put a hand on Bastion's arm, startling him a bit. She meant it as an innocent gesture. "Something happened last night. I ran into one of the Ghouls. I learned from her where Mister Mutoh is being kept."

"The Fortress…"

"I know how to get in," Alexis said. "We can rescue him."

"You heard Mister Wheeler. It's too dangerous. What's more, we can't trust these Ghouls. They may be leading you into a trap."

"We can trust them so long as we have something they want." Alexis fished Silent Kaien from her deck and looked at it for a long, silent moment. "They want this, but they won't steal it. They want to earn it."

"Why would they go to so much trouble just to win a card?"

"I don't know." Alexis looked aside to the bedroom. "But I think Jaden does, and if I know him, he'll want to rescue Yugi as badly as I do. He will go even if you guys think it's too dangerous."

"I would like to rescue him as well," Bastion clarified. "But there are limits to what we can do."

Alexis shuffled Kaien back into her deck and holstered it. "Excuse me. Jaden and I have something to discuss." The young woman turned her back on Bastion, who quickly stood and called her name, making her freeze mid-march.

"If you go," Bastion said hesitantly, "I want to go with you."

Alexis glanced back. The boy's eyes were so full of concern. She saw that expression on his face often, since Bastion worried about many things, but she never saw it with such purity or conviction before. He was truly worried that something might happen to her, and it upset him greatly. She wasn't used to someone showing such feeling for her.

"I may not have Jaden's power, but there must be something I can do to help you as well." Bastion's eyes fell to the floor. He realized how pathetic he sounded. His pride was suffering.

"I'm sorry." Alexis went into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

Bastion tried not to be angry. He failed. His first impulse was to leave the room as quickly as possible to avoid embarrassing himself further. He raced to the terrace and clutched the marble. His heart beat like a drum and filled his ears with pounding. More than anything, Bastion just wanted to scream his frustration to the world. But he didn't.

Always Jaden. It was always Jaden she went to when there was trouble. Bastion was the genius of Ra Yellow with the grades and win count necessary to be in Obelisk Blue a hundred times over. The only reason he didn't graduate to Blue was because he wanted to beat the academy's top duelist before that. Ever since Jaden's arrival, it was he who was the top duelist, even if his grades were so low that he could barely qualify as a student. Bastion could never beat Jaden, so he would never graduate to Obelisk Blue, by his own vow.

Not only did Bastion lose to Jaden in dueling, but he lost to him for Alexis' attention. Always Jaden. Always Jaden!

Well not this time! Bastion knew he could defeat these Ghouls. He had seen the limits of their power in the Ghoul's battle with Jaden. The enemy used a fiend deck with a specialty for removing cards from the game. Such decks were uncommon and strong, but not unbeatable. A Duel Academy student studied decks like that all the time, and the top student of Ra Yellow could definitely crush a deck like that!

Bastion returned to his room downstairs, just as Alexis had during the night when she changed clothes. He grabbed his duffel bag filled with his dueling equipment, his spare cards, water, and his PDA. If Alexis and Jaden planned to leave together, than Bastion would leave alone before them and prove that he was strong enough handle a situation like this. Like the travelling warrior, he would walk straight to the enemy's dojo and break its sign in half.

_I'll prove my strength,_ Bastion vowed. _Alexis… Jaden isn't the only hero at Duel Academy._


	4. Hero

Seto Kaiba was not a patient man. He also did not tolerate failure or cowardice. It came to the President's attention that his largest source of revenue, second only to the Duel Disk technology that made Duel Monsters as popular as it was, had been taken over. His temperament startled even the hardened military men who were called out to help Kaiba Corp reclaim its usurped theme park.

"Mister Kaiba," said the commander in charge of operations, "we cannot in good conscience go with your plan of attack. The risk of civilian casualties would be too high."

"I hate repeating myself," Kaiba said evenly. "My calculations clearly show that a combined assault on these key locations of the barrier around the park would cause a chain reaction that destroys the entire structure. The resulting implosion would contain the blasts in the atmosphere and at the borderlands of the park, where no personnel or civilians would be."

"You cannot be sure of that."

"By now, my security force will have made sure that all civilians are in the hotels or some other safe location. They'll then try to disable the terrorists themselves, though obviously that hasn't happened. They'll protect the people while simultaneously attempting to establish contact with the outside world."

"Seeing as it's one of your employees that has allowed this fiasco to happen, I'm not entirely confident in your operatives, Mister Kaiba."

"Fine, I'll do it myself."

The commander stood abruptly. "And how do you plan on doing that? Your plan calls for three synchronized strikes requiring tremendous destructive power."

"I will disable the safety protocols on my Duel Disk using my private command codes," Kaiba said. He then flashed the three rarest Duel Monster cards on the planet, besides the now-lost Egyptian God cards. "My dragons will take care of the rest."

"Mister Kaiba, this cannot be allowed! As a representative of the U.S. Military, I must ask you not to take this course of action, as it may jeopardize our efforts to save the lives of the people trapped inside your theme park."

"That's right," Kaiba said, "_my_ theme park. That's where your jurisdiction ends, and mine begins."

"Sir, you could be arrested."

Kaiba left the tent calmly. "I have billions of dollars and the best lawyers in the world. There's nothing you can do to stop me, so just stay here and explain to your superiors why I didn't listen to your blubbering."

"But Mister Kaiba!" Duelists were notoriously headstrong, and Kaiba was the most headstrong of them all. There was little he could do to stop him. All he could do was make sure no one was hurt by Hurricane Kaiba.

Seto drew a computer chip from a locked slot in his PDA and slid the chip into one of the ports on his Duel Disk. A hazard side flashed on the side and all the LEDs glowed red to broadcast the dangerous power output his device currently maintained. Kaiba placed each monster card methodically. "Fly, Blue Eyes White Dragon!!"

The sight of one of the legendary dragons towering above you was amazing. Seeing all three dragons in flight was unforgettable. The three dragons roared in unison and took off. Kaiba's directions were chillingly exact. He was like a general preparing for war.

"_BURST STREAM!"_Three pillars of light descended from the heavens and electrified the city-sized barrier. The furious combination of energies created a spectacular light show. The barrier bent under the combined attacks of the three Blue Eyes, but it did not break.

The Blue Eyes exhausted their energy and returned to his side. The barrier around the park shimmered as the system moved energy to the wounded areas. Soon, everything was quiet again.

Kaiba grimaced. The employee that betrayed his trust must have ensured that the barrier was on a cycling frequency. That way, the weak point that Kaiba spoke of would change positions often enough that it could not be exploited. Kaiba's plan was useless unless the weak points in the barrier could be pinpointed. This would be more difficult than he thought.

But that's what made the challenge interesting. There was no glory in crushing a weak opponent, after all.

--

Syrus slept peacefully at Jaden's side, while the other Osiris Red listened carefully. Jaden whistled to show how impressed he was with the security these Ghouls had in place.

"We're the only ones who can save Yugi," Alexis said. "I need your help."

"What about the others?"

"No one else. They would only get in the way." Alexis thought about Bastion, then quickly pushed the image out of her mind. "If anything happened to one of you, I don't know what I would do. I would go by myself if I could, but I… I don't think I'm strong enough to do it alone."

Jaden understood her feelings. He knew how proud Alexis was. There were times when she made Chazz look reasonable. Her asking for help was one of the hardest things she ever did, and Jaden knew it. So he didn't hesitate. "Alright. We'll keep the others out of this." He grabbed his Duel Disk and holstered his deck. "When do we leave?"

"Now. We haven't a moment to lose."

"Plus we've got to get out of here before Joey wakes up," Jaden said. "He won't think this is a good idea."

The two left the hotel as quickly as possible. Alexis expected to see Bastion on the way out, but he was nowhere to be found. She suspected that he went to the Boys' hotel room downstairs after their little confrontation. She felt bad about turning him down, but she thought it was for the best. She knew he would forgive her eventually. Bastion was a nice guy with a good head on his shoulders. He would understand her feelings once he had time to think about it.

The park was beautiful in the early morning sunlight. The streets were still empty, so it was like walking through a world made just for the two of them. None of the rides or holograms were running, so the park was more depressing than entertaining. Alexis could hear distant explosions. She couldn't see any smoke or fire, so she assumed that the explosions came from beyond the barrier. Someone was trying to get in.

Jaden watched the colors of light dance across the sky. "Kaiba. He's trying to get to us."

"His precious theme park is in danger," Alexis said cynically.

"More like his precious rival." Jaden smiled at Alexis' reaction. "Some things are more important to a Duelist than money."

"His brother's missing as well. That's the most important thing of all." Another explosion rocked the barrier, this one sending streams of lightning across the surface of the barrier. The sky shook with the impact.

"We'll rescue his brother and Yugi," Jaden swore. "Count on it."

The Fortress on the Mountaintop wasn't actually any higher than the rest of the park. It appeared to be built of stone and mortar. There was no moat to protect it, but the castle itself had no doors or windows either. It was a solid stone block shaped like a fort.

"So what did the Ghoul say about getting inside?" Jaden asked. He and Alexis watched the building from behind an overturned cotton candy stand. Their only hope of reaching Yugi was by sneaking inside undetected.

"There's an access point from the maintenance tunnels underground. The tunnels are difficult to navigate, but I know how to get through."

Jaden spied the nearest manhole marked as a maintenance access. To his surprise, it was already open. "Look."

Alexis frowned. "I guess we're lucky. Someone was repairing something when everything turned sour." She headed for the ladder and started climbing down. Jaden followed. He stared at the manhole cover one last time before hurrying down the hole. Already Alexis was trying to navigate the twists and turns of the maze.

Five "turns" ahead, Bastion Misawa stared at three passages leading into darkness. There were no signs telling him which way lead to the building's interior, but he knew one of these tunnels had to be the right path. He hoped to get inside the fortress before Alexis and Jaden could catch up, but he had to take this slow if he wanted to find the correct path. He would have to mark his path and try all three tunnels.

Bastion took a Fake Trap from his pack. He acquired this extremely common card when he purchased a booster pack before the tournament yesterday. He could part with it without any guilt. He dropped it at his feet and chose the leftmost passage. If he found the way out, then so much the better. If not, he would double back and try another path.

A grille slammed shut behind Bastion. He pressed onward with only a moment's pause. There was no turning back now.

"Welcome." Bastion entered what appeared to be a bunker equipped with all kinds of supplies and machinery designed for tunneling. There was a huge space in the middle where the machinery could move around and mount a track leading out of the chamber and deeper into the landscape. Standing at the entrance of the tracked tunnel was a Ghoul wearing a green and steel Duel Disk. The design bore a strong resemblance to a grenade, with a pin acting as the disk's power switch.

"You're one of the Ghouls guarding this fort?"

"I am Grenadi. I've been waiting for your friends. Ikonnu told them the way here in the hopes that they would take the bait and offer themselves to us freely. I am surprised to see you here, _sako__ duelist._"

"I've come to save Alexis and Jaden the trouble of beating you." Bastion held up his deck. "I'm here to wager my rare cards against your own."

"What's to keep me from simply taking your cards?"

"It's clear that you aren't a hologram. And as a Duelist who grew up using the ante rule quite often, I've learned to protect myself from thieves. It doesn't matter how well armed you are. I can disarm you with ease."

Grenadi parted his robe, revealing a jacket composed entirely of dynamite and wires. Bastion's surprise was obvious; it pleased Grenadi to see him so frightened. "You think you can disarm me of this, then?"

Bastion slid his deck into his Duel Disk. "You're bluffing. There'd be no reason for you to blow yourself up when it's just us down here. What's more, if you detonated yourself, the fortress you're defending would go up in flames, along with everyone inside. The way I figure it, that's your last resort for when President Kaiba finally gets inside."

Grenadi closed his robe. "Smart boy." He pulled the pin on his disk, lighting it up and increasing to 4000 Life Points. "I'll match your wager. My deck versus yours, winner takes all."

Bastion snatched six cards to start the duel and his turn. "First off, I'll activate this – Call of the Mummy!" The emulsified remains of an ancient Egyptian king appeared at Bastion's side, seated on a throne of gold and silver and carrying a skull-headed staff. (Call of the Mummy. Continuous Spell. If you have no monsters, you can Special Summon a Zombie from your hand once per turn.)

"And next, I'll use my mummy's special effect to summon Gouka, the Spirit of Malice!" A massive furnace rose from the ground, and from its kettle rose a pillar of flame bearing the slightest hint of a demonic face. (ATK 2200)

"What's more, I'm also going to perform a normal summon. Crow Tengu, in Attack Mode!" This time it was a bird-man with eyes that stared into the very soul of whoever it haunted. (ATK 1400) "That ends my turn!"

"Impressive." Grenadi drew. "It's fitting that my first opponent uses an undead deck. Anyone else, and the duel might be over too quickly."

Bastion didn't like the sound of that. Grenadi was hinting that his deck was very destructive. That meant….

"Card Destruction!" The Solid Vision system caused the cards in each player's hand to explode like small grenades. It wasn't enough to hurt the cards or the player; it was intended to startle. Bastion wasn't startled at all though, since he used this same card in this same deck. He sent three cards to the graveyard and drew three more, whilst Grenadi did the same with five.

"And I summon the Tree of Death in Defense Mode!" A large willow sprouted on the field with nooses hanging from its limbs and a pair of red eyes glowing from the canopy. (DEF 2000)

"I didn't expect someone with your personality to forgo attacking," Bastion admitted.

"A demolitions expert knows that the best attack requires an intricate setup." The Ghoul set a card face-down before ending his turn. Bastion didn't like that reversed card at all. A man like this would use very powerful, very destructive traps. If Bastion were in his place, he would use….

"I draw the Nobleman of Extermination!" A knight in black armor touched down on the field and charged straight for Grenadi's reverse card. "Destroy it, quickly!"

"Not so fast, boy! You try to disable my bomb, and it just goes off!" The reversed Ring of Destruction snapped open. A necklace of grenades encircled Gouka's base. Before Bastion could react, the grenades went off and decimated his monster. Bastion fell flat on his back from the fierce explosion, while Grenadi slammed against the tunnel wall from the impact on his side. (Both Player's LP: 1800)

Nearby, Alexis heard – and felt – the explosion. "What was that!?"

"This way!" Jaden shot down the tunnel and made a left turn, following his ears and his gut. They took him to a steel lattice barring any further passage, but beyond that lattice he could see a familiar face. "Bastion!"

Alexis was shocked to hear the boy's name. "Bastion! What the hell are you doing?"

The duelist stood with effort. "Helping you… like I said I would."

"This isn't a game!" Alexis snapped. "Don't be an idiot!"

Grenadi chuckled. "Hurry up. It's still your turn."

Bastion pulled himself together. "I'll summon Mezuki in Attack Mode!" (ATK 1700) "One card face-down! I end my turn!"

Alexis tried to force the grille open, but it didn't budge. "Bastion…" She looked to Jaden, her eyes pleading for help, but he couldn't think of anything either. Bastion was on his own.

"My turn!" Grenadi began his counterattack. "During my Standby Phase, the special effect of my Treeborn Bats activates! When these monsters are in the graveyard and I control a Plant monster, they can be summoned to the field!" Two giant bats flew from the dark confines of the Tree of Death and swooped over the field in terrifying fashion. (ATK 300)

"Now, I can sacrifice them both to summon the Bomb Bat Stick!" The two bats burst into bloody remains, and a much larger bat with bone protrusions in its face and chest descended to feast on the remains. The vampiric carnivore feasted its eyes on Bastion, its next meal.

(Bomb Bat Stick. 8/1500/800. Dark/Winged-Beast. If this card destroys a monster in battle, deal 1500 damage to the opponent.)

"What a nasty monster," Jaden said. He meant it both literally and in a technical sense. With such a dangerous ability, no duelist was safe.

The bat leaped across the field and gorged itself on Bastion's Crow Tengu. The attack dropped Bastion to 1700 points, but the bat's follow-up strike was considerably more painful. The giant's fangs sank into Bastion's shoulder, making him cry out in pain and drop to one knee. The bat tore itself free from Bastion, leaving behind a fang that ticked like a bomb before going off and knocking Bastion to the ground again. (LP: 200)

"Bastion!" Alexis watched helplessly as one of her dearest friends suffered just beyond her reach.

"Looks like I've earned myself some new cards," Grenadi boasted. "Not that such weak cards will do me any good. I'm sure I can pawn them off for a few bucks."

Bastion snatched a new card and used it immediately. "Mujina, Defense Mode!" (DEF 1100) "And now that I have two _Youkai_ on my field, I can perform a Special Summon!" Mujina and Mezuki burst into ash, then into flames, and finally into the shape of a giant beast.

(Nine-Tailed Fox. 6/2200/2000. Fire/Beast. Tribute two _Youkai_ to Special Summon this _youkai_ from the graveyard.)

Grenadi nodded. "You sent it to the graveyard with Card Destruction. Very smart…."

"Nine-Tailed Fox! Destroy his Bomb Bat Stick!" The beast reared back and let loose a _chakra_ flame that incinerated the monster instantly. (Grenadi's LP: 1000)

Jaden pumped his fist. "Yeah! Way to go Bastion!" Alexis didn't celebrate.

"The tables have turned, Grenadi," Bastion boasted back. "My _youkai_ won't die so easily, and neither will I."

"We'll see about that." Grenadi drew and pointed to his tree. "At this time, my Treeborn Bats return to the field! And now, I'll sacrifice the Tree of Death to activate its special ability, which lets me perform a 'ressurection summon' just like you." The two Treeborn Bats disappeared along with the Tree of Death, allowing the Bomb Bat Stick to return to the field in all its sickly glory. (ATK 1500)

"There's a big difference in strength between our monsters. You must have something more," Bastion said.

"Indeed I do." Grenadi planted a magic card in his Duel Disk. "Tribute to the Doomed!" In a flash, a giant mummified hand dragged the Nine-Tailed Fox into the earth.

Jaden gasped. "Bastion has no monster to protect himself!"

"Bomb Bat Stick, attack the opponent directly!" The bat pounced like a tiger and clamped onto Bastion's arm. With one fierce tug, it tore the arm of his jacket clean off and left several scratches on his flesh.

Alexis couldn't believe it. The attack hit dead-on. "Bastion... ."

Bastion burst into pixels of destroyed data, startling the onlookers. The real Bastion stood unharmed as the Bomb Bat Stick returned to its master's side.

"I don't understand." Grenadi growled. "What happened?"

"You thought you attacked me, but it seems a mischievous _mujina_ decided to take my form just in time to save my life." Bastion withdrew a card from his graveyard and showed it proudly.

(Mujina. 3/800/1100. Remove this _youkai_ from the graveyard to negate the attack of an opponent's monster.)

"Sorry," Bastion said. "But you failed."

Grenadi laughed. "Fool! You have 200 points left and your field is empty! This match will be over on my next turn!"

Bastion drew. "First of all, my field is not empty. I still have this reverse card. And second of all, there won't be a next turn for you, because I'm going to end this match right now." The genius of Ra Yellow flashed his attack card. "Necromancy!"

Grenadi gasped as four monsters erupted from his graveyard to his field. They were no longer living creatures, but zombie husks. Two of them were his Treeborn Bats. One was his Tree of Death. The last was one of his discarded monsters from the first turn, a Blast Juggler.

"Necromancy brings four of your monsters to the field and places a curse on them. If any one of them is destroyed, one of your other monsters will lose 600 attack points."

"A lot of good that'll do you. Next turn I'll simply switch them all to Attack Mode and wipe you out!"

"As I already said, this is the last turn of the game." Bastion pointed to his feet. "Because I have this! Reverse card, open!!"

(Vindictive Vengeful Spirit – Trap Card – This turn, each time your opponent Special Summons a monster from the graveyard, Special Summon a _youkai_from your graveyard.)

"With this combination, I can summon four monsters to the field!" Bastion's graveyard erupted with spirits. The first to land was Crow Tengu (ATK 1400). The second was the Nine-Tailed Fox (ATK 2200). The third and fourth were monsters discarded by Card Destruction – Onmoraki (ATK 1200) and Shutendouji (ATK 1500).

Jaden cheered loudly. "That's the way!"

"When _youkai_ are brought back from the graveyard, their true power comes out! When Shutendouji is resurrection summoned, its attack increases to 2000! With Onmaraki, I get to draw a card from the deck! And lastly, when Crow Tengu is resurrected…" Bastion pointed at the Tree of Death. "You lose a monster!"

The hungry Crow Tengu descended on the Tree of Death and snapped it in half with its talons. The moment the tree went to the grave, its curse triggered, and the Bomb Bat Stick's attack strength dropped to 900.

"Crow Tengu and Onmaraki, destroy his Treeborn Bats!" The two _youkai_ combined their efforts and sent the tiny monsters to oblivion. The curse they left behind reduced Bomb Bat Stick to zero attack strength, leaving it wide open to the fox's finishing blow. Twenty-two hundred damage went straight to Grenadi's chest and knocked him out cold.

Bastion calmly walked over and took the Bomb Bat Stick. "I'm sure I can trade this for something better back at the Academy." He pocketed the card and walked to a nearby switch, which he was certain Grenadi used to shut the grille and cage him in. His hunch was right. Alexis and Jaden rushed to his side.

"Great duel!" Jaden said. "Your game's good as ever."

Alexis socked Bastion in the shoulder. "Idiot!! Why did you come here? I _told_ you I didn't want you to come!"

"I can't sit idly by while you two risk your lives," Bastion said sharply. "You're not the only duelists who want to save Yugi! I know I can be of aid! After all, I found my way here without the help of the information you got from the Ghouls."

"He's got a point, Alex-" Jaden shut up immediately when her cold glare fixed on him. He backed away slowly.

"Besides." The adrenaline rush from the duel gave shy Bastion a little more bravery than usual. "If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do."

Alexis remembered telling Jaden those exact words. Suddenly she understood that Bastion worried about her just as much as she worried about her friends. Like her, he couldn't stand it when his friends were in danger.

Jaden watched the two exchange nervous glances. Finally he stepped in to rescue them both, being the hero that he was. "We've got to get going. It won't be long before they realize that we're here, if they don't know already."

The clang of metal in the tunnel behind them alerted the trio to an intruder. All of them readied their disks and stood with their hands poised over their decks. A figure crept from the shadows and slowly revealed itself to be… a cute little boy with blue-green hair.

"Syrus! What are you doing here?" While Jaden asked the question, Alexis muttered angry words under her breath.

"I overheard you guys talking in the bedroom. I didn't want Alexis or my _aniki_ to go without me. I'd be too worried! So I followed you."

"I guess the gangs all here!" Jaden smiled broadly. "With the four of us working together, there's no way they can keep Yugi from us!"

"Once again, Jaden, you're forgetting the seriousness of the situation." Bastion looked at Grenadi's motionless body. "That guy's rigged with a bomb meant to take down this building if things go wrong."

"Can you disarm it?" Alexis asked.

"I'm afraid I'm not that kind of genius. All we can do is hope we get Yugi and Vice President Kaiba to safety before he has a chance to use it."

Alexis headed for the opposite tunnel. "Let's hurry then." The duelists ran into the darkness, leaving the Ghoul behind. Grenadi slowly stood when he was all alone and laughed lightly. Everything was going according to plan. Vio would be pleased.

The tunnel went on forever, but the ladder that took them into the control center wasn't too far inside. Alexis went up first and pushed the trap door open. A quick glance showed her they were inside what appeared to be an archaic torture chamber. Everything was just like Ikki said it would be.

"Isn't this a little too easy?" Bastion asked. "The security team would have known about this route."

"They would," Alexis agreed, "but they wouldn't know how to get out of this room. The Fortress is blocking all the exits except the trap door. We're actually inside the main power chamber."

Jaden helped Syrus up the ladder before closing the trap behind him. "The Ghoul told you how to get through, right?"

Alexis walked to the "door" of the torture chamber, a massive iron portcullis held in place by chains and levers. Spikes decorated the front and mold covered everything, as one would expect of a damp dungeon.

Alexis recited the words that would unlock the door. "Dragon Card, a soul will be its bridge." She heard a click, and the hologram faded away to reveal the room's actual layout.

"Voice activated security." Bastion put a hand to his chin. "Intriguing."

"That was the easy part," Alexis said. "Now we have to sneak into the basement without being seen. If it was just Jaden and I, it'd be much easier." She saw Bastion's ire on his face. She smiled to remind him that she was teasing him. "But we'll manage somehow."

Jaden was glad to see Alexis in good spirits. She was a much better duelist when she was calm. "So where to, leader?"

"Follow me."

The halls of the complex were surprisingly empty. Ikki made no mention of guards, but Alexis assumed there would be a few Holo-Ghouls on patrol just in case someone breached their defenses. Then again, they might have thought no one would get this far. The Ghoul in the tunnels might have been their only defense.

But as Bastion said, this was all a little too easy. To Alexis, that meant they were expected to get this far. Which meant Ikki and the other Ghouls would be waiting for them.

"When we reach the end, let Jaden and I handle the Ghouls," Alexis said. "That's what they want. You two need to make sure Mister Mutoh and Mister Kaiba are freed."

"We'll try," Syrus promised.

"Ikki says they're imprisoned in a holographic cage. The only way to open it is to negate the effect. It doesn't have the same strength as the fortress, so another hologram can affect it. You should have no trouble busting them out and getting back to the tunnels. Just don't forget the password."

Bastion nodded to Syrus. "We'll take care of it. Don't worry. Right?" Syrus agreed.

They came to a fork labeled by signs on the wall. One direction lead to the basement levels. The other went to the main control room, where the entire complex could be manipulated. If the Ghouls were anywhere, they'd be in there, watching them through the camera feeds.

"This is where we part," Alexis said, turning to face Bastion and Syrus. "Be careful." Bastion gave a thumbs-up. Alexis returned the gesture.

"You be careful too," Syrus replied. He gave Jaden a worried look, but Jaden winked confidently. Syrus couldn't help but smile. He followed Bastion to the lower levels. It would take them some time to reach the basement, but that gave Alexis and Jaden time to engage the Ghouls.

The hall echoed with their footsteps. Alexis could feel Jaden walking in her shadow. She felt comfort in his presence. She knew he would never give up. There was always hope in his eyes, and she felt hope in her heart because of him. She wasn't afraid.

Alexis kicked open the door to the control center. It was a massive room styled like an amphitheater. Chairs with monitors and command consoles formed semicircles around a central stage where all manner of holographic data was displayed. Standing beneath the holograms was a single man in a black robe. His face was dark and foreboding, like a raging storm with human features. His brown eyes pierced Alexis' heart and cut into Jaden. His long, black hair covered his overturned mask behind him. He would be a beautiful man were he not so intense.

"You," Alexis said coldly. "You are Ikki's master."

"I am Vio, herald of the new age." The holograms above the stage switched off and changed to a map of the world. "The future is mine. If you want to be a part of it, I suggest you surrender your card spirits and kneel. Otherwise I have no choice but to destroy you."

"We're not giving up our friends – any of them!" Jaden shouted.

"You're talking about Yugi Mutoh. You're welcome to have him. He means nothing to me." Vio threw his robe open, revealing his deck holster. "He is a symbol of the Old Ways. His time is over. My time has come."

"Enough bull shit!" Alexis snapped. She readied her Duel Disk and planted her deck in one fluid motion. "Shuffle your deck and get ready to lose!"

"Bold words, from someone who doesn't belong in this esteemed company."

"What are you talking about?"

Vio shuffled his deck slowly as he smiled. "You can't see spirits. You are not a special duelist, like the Duel King or your friend there." Jaden grimaced back as Vio continued to needle Alexis with his harsh critique. "You're just a _bonkosu__ duelist_ – mediocre in every way. The only reason you're here is because Yugi couldn't risk letting the card spirit in his care fall into my hands."

Alexis lashed out. "Shut up! Duel me and I'll show you who's mediocre!"

While Alexis held his attention, Jaden watched the Ghoul carefully. He heard Winged Kuriboh cooing energetically. Jaden knew what his partner was talking about. A large pair of eyes, burning with power, hovered just behind Vio. Just as Jaden had a spirit looking over him, so did Vio have a spirit at his side. "I see it, partner. Whatever that is… it's mean."

The dragon spirit roared. Jaden felt the earth shake underneath. Several miles away, Seto Kaiba and the gathered military men felt the same tremor, but knew not what it was. Ten feet away from the dragon's mouth, Alexis saw and heard nothing. She felt a tremor underneath, but ignored it for the time being.

"A duel against you alone would be boring and unproductive," Vio said. "So I offer this challenge – the two of you against me, life or death."

Alexis looked to Jaden, who nodded. "We accept!" Jaden leaped over several chairs to take point a short distance away from Alexis and Vio. The triangle of duelists finished their preparations and set their life points to 4000. The duel began when all of them cried out, "DUEL!"

Vio took the first turn. He looked into Jaden's eyes and saw fear. "You can see it, can't you? My guardian is hungry… hungry for your card spirits. Only when he is satiated can his power be unleashed on the world at large."

A line of sweat fell down Jaden's cheek. Alexis was surprised to see Jaden so shaken. What was it they were talking about? Jaden must see something that she could not. Vio's words echoed in her mind. She really did not belong at Jaden's side on the battlefield. She wasn't special like he was.

"I summon the Ancient Soldier of Stone!" Vio declared. A giant golem made entirely of rock and wielding granite swords knelt at Vio's flank, showing that it was defending. (3/1300/2000. Reduce this card's DEF by 1000 to negate its destruction in battle.) "And I'll also set two cards face down, ending my turn!"

Already, Vio was starting strong. Jaden knew that any duelist willing to play in a 2-on-1 handicap duel was not to be taken lightly, but he had trouble imagining what kind of strategy this guy had in mind. Jaden and Alexis were both seasoned duelists from the world's finest academy. Ordinary tactics wouldn't be enough to defeat them, even in a one-on-one duel. Vio had to have incredible powers. Jaden had to be cautious… but he also couldn't hold back. He had to hit him hard and fast.

"I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart in Attack Mode!" A dark-skinned jungle warrior materialized on the field and drew his massive sword. (ATK 1500) "And I'll also play 'Common Soul', which allows me to special summon a Neo Spacian from my hand and combine his powers with a monster on my field! So come on out, Flare Scarab!" An alien insect appeared at Wildheart's side. (ATK 500)

Jaden continued his turn quickly. "Due to Flare Scarab's special effect, he gains 400 attack points for each card in your backfield, and since you have two, that means he gets 800 points!" The Neo Spacian powered up to 1300 points, and simultaneously Wildheart grew stronger. "Common Soul gives Wildheart additional attack points equal to my Scarab's!" (ATK 2800)

Even after all the times Alexis had seen him duel, Jaden's draw power astounded her. He truly was the greatest duelist at Duel Academy, no matter how much she wanted that title for herself. He truly was special.

"Wildheart attacks your Soldier of Stone! Wild Cut!" The elemental hero's attack sliced the rock soldier in half, leaving only half the monster intact, but still managing to defend. (DEF 1000)

"And now, Flare Scarab's attack! Solar Flare!" The insect brought its fingers to its eyes and let loose a fiery burst of light that washed over Vio's field and wiped away all but a few chunks of the Stone Soldier – its head and its two swords, specifically. Although the monster had zero defense, it was still alive.

"That ends my turn," Jaden said, looking to his teammate. "He's all yours, Alexis!"

"_Watashi__ no turn!_ Draw!" Alexis had a fairly mundane hand, but she could deal damage this turn. Vio would still have a monster on the field, but she was willing to risk a counterattack in order to deal him damage. With Jaden putting the pressure on him, they couldn't lose. "Cyber Tutu, Attack Mode!"

A beautiful, pink-haired dancer appeared and spun in a few circles before taking a confident pose. (ATK 1000. This card can attack directly if the opponent's monsters have higher ATK.)

"Since your monster has 1300 attack points, I can attack you instead of the Stone Soldier! Cyber Tutu, use Cyber Strike!"

Vio grinned. "Finally. Reverse card, open! Power Gift!!" (Quickplay Spell. Discard a Monster to increase a monster's ATK by the ATK of the discarded card. Destroy the selected monster after battle.)

Cyber Tutu glowed with golden light as incredible power surged through her body. Alexis was amazed as her disk's readout gave her the status of her monster. "Her attack power… it's over 3000!"

"That's right!" Vio sent a card to the graveyard. "My 'Beast of Talwar' has 2400 points, and thanks to my Power Gift, your monster gets all 2400 of those points added to her own!" Vio opened his arms wide and awaited Cyber Tutu's direct strike. Her spinning kick nailed him right in the gut, taking a huge toll on his life points. (Vio: 600)

Jaden gasped. "No way! Why would he want to hurt himself?"

Alexis, being the studious duelist that she was, recognized this obscure strategy. "It can't be! He must have…"

Vio opened his other reverse card. "That's right, my dear." (Inferno Tempest. Quickplay Spell. Activate when you receive 3000 damage from a single attack. Remove all monsters in all player's Decks and Graveyards from the game.)

A holographic fire erupted from Alexis' deck, consuming more than half the cards within it. Monster after monster disappeared, leaving her deck with hardly any cards to work with. Jaden and Vio suffered similar damage, but Vio seemed pleased with the outcome. No doubt this was his deck's key strategy.

(Jaden's Deck: 17 cards. Alexis' Deck: 15 cards. Vio's Deck: 18 cards.)

"Well done, my little _bonkosu__ duelist_. You fell right into my trap. Now, the real duel can begin." Vio's laughter cut into Alexis' heart deeply. Jaden watched sadly as Alexis' eyes went to the floor out of shame.

"Don't worry about a thing, Alexis," Jaden said, catching her attention. "This is nothing we can't handle."

"Jaden…"

He gave her a reassuring smile. "This isn't like you. The Alexis I know wouldn't let the words of some freak in a toga freak her out. You're too cool for that!"

_Too cool_. Alexis found strength in Jaden's confidence. "You're right." She stared at Vio angrily. "That's the last time I let this jerk's words affect me."

Vio smiled back. "Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

Alexis set two cards face down as her Cyber Tutu suffered the aftereffects of Power Gift and went straight to the graveyard, leaving her field empty. "_Turn Endo!"_

Vio drew and held the card towards the field like a baton. "At this time, the special effect of my D.D. Scout activates! When this card is removed from the game, I can special summon it to the field during my Standby Phase!" Two simple plane-like machines buzzed and whirred above Vio's field. (ATK 800)

_That's not good,_ Alexis thought. _He can summon a high level monster from his hand._ The Inferno Tempest left the players' hands intact, so the only monsters left in the game were the ones on the field and the ones in the players' hands. Alexis only had one monster in hand. She hoped Jaden had more.

"I sacrifice both my Scouts to summon the Different Dimension Queen!" A black robed, faceless black queen formed from the shadows. Her figure was feminine and delicate, although she clearly wasn't human since she lacked eyes or a nose or a mouth. (D.D. Queen. 7/1900/2200. Remove from the game any monster that battles D.D. Queen after damage is dealt.)

Alexis saw an even larger shadow appear behind Vio. Jaden saw it too. "What in the world…?"

"You kids no doubt have heard of the God cards that Yugi Mutoh won in Battle City. There were three of them, and all were mighty." Vio chuckled. "But there's a demon whose power matches those gods. Unfortunately, he is so powerful that he can't be summoned by mortal means. However, he can still cause pain from the world beyond our own. That is the extent of his powers."

(D.D. God, Diablos. 10/4000/4000. Dark/Fiend. This card cannot be Summoned. If this card is removed from the game, it deals 800 damage to the opponent during your Battle Phase.)

"Diablos!" Vio yelled. "Use your immense power and punish these children for their hubris!" Diablos lifted its arm to the sky, summoned all the dark energies of Hell, and let loose a wall of fire that swept over Alexis and Jaden, burning them with its touch. (Alexis: 3200, Jaden: 3200)

"And now, D.D. Queen! Ancient Soldier of Stone! Attack the _bonkosu__ duelist_ directly!" The two monsters had enough strength to destroy Alexis completely. Luckily, she wasn't defenseless.

"Activate Field-Trap! Fortress of Sand!" A wall of sand shot up between her and the attacking monsters just in time to deflect most of the blow. She was buried in the sand that scattered from the force of the attacks. Although 3200 damage was dealt, only 200 of it got through to her. (Alexis: 3000)

Jaden breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, he thought Alexis was done for. He knew she wouldn't go down that easily!

"Nicely done." Vio placed a card face-down and ended his turn. "How long do you think you can keep up this pace?" Alexis said nothing. She remained focused on the goal – beat him, and give the others enough time to rescue Yugi and Seto Kaiba's brother.

"Here I go!" Jaden drew and pointed at Vio's face-down card. "Because you have one card in the backfield, Flare Scarab's attack is 900 and Wildheart's attack is 2400! Wildheart, attack his Soldier of Stone!" Vio only had 600 points left. This would finish him!

"Trap card! 'Two Hearts'!" Jaden gasped at the card he'd never heard of. Judging from its design, it was a rare card from the earliest age of dueling – back when it was still called 'Magic and Wizards'. (Two Hearts. Tribute a monster to give another monster indestructibility and a free attack on the opponent's monsters this turn.)

Soldier of Stone 'died' as per the sacrifice requirement of the trap, and his death caused the D.D. Queen to react violently. Her body glowed with pink light, signifying her 'love', and she lashed out at Jaden's monsters with all the magical power she could muster. Wildheart was too strong to be destroyed by the attack (Vio's LP: 100), but D.D. Queen's special effect removed him from the game the moment his sword struck. Flare Scarab was too weak to defend itself and lost to the D.D. Queen's superior attack strength. Jaden's life points fell to 2200, and his field was wiped clean.

"Jaden!" Alexis cried.

Jaden got to his feet and reversed one of his cards. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me! He only has 100 points left. Finish him!"

Alexis nodded and started her turn with a fierce draw that slashed the air with its quickness. She looked at her hand carefully. Jaden didn't summon any monster in his last turn, which meant that he had no monsters in his hand. Jaden had no way to attack now. It was up to Alexis to provide the monsters, and she had only one left. She had to play carefully.

"I summon Blizzard Dragon! Defend!" (DEF 1000. Once per turn, you can 'freeze' an opponent's monster and prevent it from attacking or changing modes until the end of the opponent's turn.) "And at this time, I'll use my dragon's special effect!"

Vio covered his eyes as the dragon called the arctic winds from its mouth and turned the D.D. Queen into an icy statue. Although the ice was melting quickly, it wouldn't melt completely until his turn was done, meaning he couldn't use her this coming round. It was a smart move; Vio couldn't attack so long as his monsters were frozen.

"_Turn Endo_." Alexis grimaced at her hand again. Her deck relied on monsters just like any other competition level deck. Vio's strategy was extremely potent. There was little she could do. If things kept going like this, she and Jaden would lose.

"I'm giving you one last chance to give up," Vio said as he drew. "You can still save yourselves. Give me the card spirits. Their lives are not worth your own."

"I'll never give up someone's life to save my own!" Jaden shouted. "Winged Kuriboh and I are friends! We'll always do our best to protect each other!"

Vio looked to Alexis. "And you? Do you feel the same way about a card you can't even see?"

Alexis trembled. "… I don't care about the card. What I care about is Yugi… Mister Mutoh. You took him away from his wife and friends. I'll never forgive that. You have to be punished."

Vio closed his eyes thoughtfully. "I see. Then it looks like I have no choice." The duelist ripped his robe open to bear his chest. Tattooed in the center was a familiar symbol of power. It was an ankh.

Jaden's heart skipped a beat as he felt the familiar chill of dark magic. "What…?"

"Let the Shadow Game, begin!" Vio's symbol glowed red as the _shadow__-__space_ appeared underfoot. A black fog filled the room. The howling of the dead filled the duelists' ears. Alexis looked into the shadows in awe and saw faces… shapes… pale bodies, swarming and pawing at each other like insects. There were so many of them – thousands! Millions! They filled the darkness like cockroaches! Lifeless eyes stared at her. Arms reached for her. One was close enough to her feet that it grabbed her ankle, forcing her to kick it away with a scream. More than anything, Alexis didn't want to be pulled into that sea of limbs.

"Welcome to the Shadow Realm," Vio said. "Here, a duelist's life points become more than just a number. When you lose them all, you belong to the shadows." Vio pointed. "To them."

Alexis stepped closer to Jaden and farther from the pale, pawing limbs. "This can't be real. This can't be real…"

Vio revealed a magic card from his hand. "Magic Card, _hatsudo!_ Juxtaposition! This card special summons the monster that each player has removed from the game with the lowest level!"

Jaden grimaced. "No! He's targeting our partner cards." Jaden's duel disk spat out Winged Kuriboh's card. He reluctantly placed it on the field. (DEF 200) Winged Kuriboh took on a solid shape. He flew around Jaden fondly, then made a quick trip to Alexis, who was still terrified by the images around her. Seeing Winged Kuriboh's gentle face brought her back to the task at hand. She was in the middle of a duel. She had to win.

"_Sa, __bonkosu__ duelist,_" Vio hissed. "Bring out Kaien. Now!"

Alexis reached for one of her removed cards. "Cyber Petite Angel, _shokan_!" (2/300/200.)

Vio growled. "You have another trash monster in your deck. Damn you!"

"Do to my angel's special effect, I can add a ritual spell to my hand. Namely, this one!" Alexis flipped through her deck and drew the one she wanted in a flash. "Ritual of Machine Angel." She slid the card into her hand. Since all her Ritual Monsters were removed from the game, the card would prove useless, but at least her Kaien wasn't at risk. For whatever reason, Vio wanted it on the field. Alexis wouldn't let him have his way.

Vio finally summoned his removed monster. "Gren Maju Da Eiza, in Attack Mode!" (3/?/?. This card gains 400 ATK and DEF for every card you have removed from the game.) Alexis and Jaden couldn't believe it. Vio's monster catapulted to 7600 attack points!

"When this game ends, your spirits will belong to me," Vio promised. "And what's more, you will die in the shadows and be trapped in your own private Hell for all eternity. The time for mercy has passed."

Gren Maju unleashed nearly 8000 points of field-cleansing fire and wiped Blizzard Dragon off the field. At the same time, the dark god Diablos sent another wave of fire at the duelists, dealing them even more pain. Alexis was startled by how much the fire hurt. It felt like _real_ fire just scorched her skin! (Alexis: 2200, Jaden: 1400)

"The Dragon of Chaos is coming," Vio promised. "Your souls will be his bridge. The world will be mine for the taking."

Jaden could see Alexis' confusion. It only added to her fear. She wasn't accustomed to magic like he was. Life and death duels were a part of his daily routine, not hers. He had to stay strong for her. He had to help her see the light, so that she would remember her own strength.

The hero stood and drew his sword, shaped like a card. "NEVER!"


	5. Loss

Joey slammed a fist against the wall. "I'm gonna kill 'em!"

"You know it's your fault they went in the first place, Joseph," Mai criticized. "If you weren't afraid to go after Yugi in the first place-"

"I was afraid to go because I didn't want _this_ to happen! These kids shouldn't get involved with guys like the Ghouls. They're dangerous. Now, we don't even know if they're alright."

Tea looked out the hotel room window to survey the park. The sky rumbled with lightning that travelled in unnatural arcs. Mai surmised earlier that it was a holographic storm. Someone, or something closely affiliated with lightning, was unleashing its rage on the barrier. It wouldn't be long before the sky cracked, letting everything outside in, and everything inside out.

"What are we going to do?" Tea asked worriedly. "We can't leave them alone."

Joey watched Tea's face for hints of her feelings. He knew how concerned she was for her husband, but she knew just as well as he did that the children were at risk so long as they tried to rescue them. She understood the delicacy of the situation. But like him, he also understood that the decision had been made for them. They had no choice but to act now.

"There are other duelists waiting in the resort," Joey said sternly. "If we all work together, we can trash that Fortress on the Mountaintop and force those Ghouls into a confrontation. If they want to fight us with holograms, then we'll fight back with our decks."

Mai drew her cell phone and flipped it open like a switchblade. "I could get Rebecca Hawkins on the line. I'm sure she could get all the duelists in the East Hotel. We can organize the ones here."

Joey nodded. "Do it. Tell them we march in an hour. The Ghouls are going down."

--

The ground shook under Syrus and brought him to his knees. Bastion helped him to his feet and urged him onward. The halls of the Control Center basement level were almost as difficult to navigate as the underground tunnels that brought them here. Seto Kaiba had a penchant for working subtle riddles and puzzles into his architectures, just like his one-time ally and enemy, Pegasus. It made getting around harder, even for the smarter-than-average employees that Kaiba chose.

"I hate mazes," Syrus said tiredly. "There's no way to tell if we're even close to Mister Mutoh."

"We've travelled approximately three hallways east from our starting point, taking into account all the ninety degree turns we've made," Bastion calculated. "If the layout of this building is under forty thousand square feet, then we should find Mister Mutoh and Mister Kaiba… there." The young man selected the left path. A short walk brought the pair to an antechamber containing two doors. Both were unmarked and bore two identical Solid Vision devices designed to look like crystals. One was red, and the other was blue.

Syrus approached the left door slowly. He thought about touching the crystal, but his fears kept him at bay. Bastion didn't think there was any danger – they were just display modules, so touching them couldn't hurt – but Syrus was cautious by nature.

"Any ideas?" The moment Syrus spoke, the left crystal reacted. He stumbled back to make way for an impressive humanoid figure – a knight in silver armor, wielding an impressive sword. The door on the right projected a much darker, more feral monster with purple skin and golden eyes.

"Blade Knight and Swordstalker," Bastion realized. "Both of them were used in Mister Kaiba's deck until about six years ago."

"What are they doing here? Why would Mister Kaiba's monsters keep us from reaching Mister Mutoh?"

"The Ghouls must've hacked the security system. No doubt this program belongs in another part of the complex. It was moved here to prevent their hostages from escaping or being rescued. But if this maze is any indication, there's always a way around Mister Kaiba's security, if you're smart enough to think of it. It's a test."

The Blade Knight took a step forward and made a clear announcement. _"One door leads to Salvation. The other door leads to Ruin. __O__pen the __darkest d__oor to __G__lory."_

Syrus frowned. "If I hate anything more than mazes, it's riddles."

Bastion calmly opened his satchel and looked through his extra Duel Monster cards for the ones he needed. "The riddle isn't what we should worry about. We don't know which door the Ghouls hid the prisoners behind. It's likely they made the correct door lead to a trap and the incorrect door leads to their prisoners, just to throw off any would-be rescuers. It's also a possibility that there's no way to leave the room once we get inside, at least not without a more concrete security clearance, like a key card."

"Then what should we do?"

"We _should_ disable the power to the entire complex and get rid of these holograms. But we cannot do that. So we can only continue forward and hope that the correct path is the right path." Bastion slipped the magic card Brain Control into his Duel Disk and watched as Swordstalker (ATK 2000) and Blade Knight (ATK 2000 when no cards are in hand) turned their blades on each other and died simultaneously.

"And if it isn't?"

Bastion next played The Dark Door. Dark blue lightning crackled from the two doors to make a third, shadowy door between them. The door's midnight black color made it less inviting than the other two.

"It must be. The world is a logical place, after all."

--

(Vio – 100 LP)  
- Different Dimension Queen (ATK 1900)  
- Gren Maju Da Eiza (ATK 7600)  
- face-down card  
- Different Dimension God, Diablos (removed from the game)

(Jaden – 1400 LP)  
- Winged Kuriboh (DEF 200)

(Alexis – 2200 LP)  
- Cyber Petite Angel (DEF 200)

Jaden's draw electrified his entire body. That was what told him that he'd drawn the card he needed to turn things around for him and Alexis. With their decks stripped of all their monsters, they had nothing left to fight back with except for magic and traps. Most decks would crumble in such a scenario, but as always, Jaden could count on his deck to thrive in the face of adversity.

"We'll never give up," Jaden declared. "Alexis and I are duelists with pride! It takes more than a cheap trick like this to get the better of us."

"You seem confident," Vio noted wryly. "But I can't say the same about your friend"

The last traces of ice melted off the D.D. Queen that Alexis froze last turn. With two monsters and one ghost-of-a-god, Vio was ready to deal a lot of damage in the next turn. Winged Kuriboh could stop the attack if it went to the graveyard, but its special effect would only last for one turn. They had no chance unless they destroyed Vio's monsters, but without monsters of their own, Alexis didn't see a way to do it. Even with Jaden's confidence, she couldn't imagine a scenario that didn't end with their loss.

Things were going wrong so quickly. What hope did they have?

Jaden slid his card into the magic slot and revealed it immediately. "Here it is! The card that will make a miracle!"

(Parallel World Fusion. Send monsters that you have removed from the game to the graveyard that are listed on a Fusion Monster in your Fusion Deck and Special Summon it. This counts as a Fusion Summon.)

Vio laughed. "Still you struggle? Very well, summon your monster! No matter what, my Gren Maju will crush it like a bug!"

Four cards appeared behind Jaden, startling Vio very much – a four card fusion was almost unheard of in Duel Monsters. Jaden smiled wryly in return. "Your demon is pretty sweet, I'll give you that. But it has one major flaw. It's only useful if you remove a lot of cards from the game. So if all those cards disappeared, your monster would be nothing to worry about."

Four Elemental Heroes from four different elements materialized at Jaden's side, and each in turn joined the fusion. Avian, the wind warrior; Burstinatrix, the fire warrior; Clayman, the earth warrior; and Bubbleman, the water warrior. They merged into one mighty hero with the power of the four elements merged into one unstoppable force.

(Elemental Hero Elixier. ATK 2900. When this card is Fusion Summoned, return all cards removed from the game to their owner's decks.)

"All right!!" Alexis shouted for joy.

"What!?" Elixier's magic blanketed the field and returned all the monsters taken by the Inferno Tempest to the decks where they belonged. Amongst those cards was the great god Diablos. His departure stunned Vio most of all.

"With Elixier's special effect, your Diablos can't hurt us anymore with his attack!" Jaden shouted. "And what's more, since there are no more cards to return to the deck, your Gren Maju's attack will drop to zero!"

Before his demon could weaken, Vio snapped open his trap card. "This duel is not over yet! Not by a long shot, impudent brat!" (Joyful Doom. Reduce the ATK of all your monsters to zero. Increase your Life Points by the amount of points removed.) Instantly, Gren Maju Da Eiza and D.D. Queen lost all their fighting strength, but Vio's life points skyrocketed to an astounding 10,600 points.

"Come on and fight me!!" Vio snarled, even as Elixier charged across the field to annihilate Gren Maju and trample over it to slam the Ghoul to the ground. (Vio: 7700)

Jaden set two cards face down and pointed to his partner. "You take it from here, Alexis! Let's smoke this guy and help our friends!"

Alexis snatched a new card. "With pleasure! Winged Kuriboh and Cyber Petite Angel, offer yourselves as tribute to my strongest monster. Ice Queen, _shokan_" The diamond-like beauty descended from on high and landed lightly. Her cold eyes looked to the D.D. Queen bowing weakly across the field. (ATK 2900)

"Queen attacks Queen. _Blizzard Blast!_" A hail storm erupted from the Ice Queen's hand, burying Vio's field in a floor of snow crystals and shards. As the D.D. Queen faded from existence, her black hand sent shadows to the Ice Queen's feet, which started to consume her and drag her into the darkness.

"Did you forget my queen's special effect?" Vio taunted. "Any monster that battles her will be removed from the game! You've just lost your strongest monster!"

"It was worth it," Alexis said. "Because my partner has this." Vio didn't understand until Jaden's reverse card revealed itself.

"Reverse card open!" (Shield Strike. Activate when one of your monsters deals damage to the opponent. Your opponent loses life points equal to the DEF of your monster.) Before the Ice Queen could fade away completely, she summoned an icy comet and knocked Vio flat on his back with one painful strike. Since they were in the Shadow Realm, the hit was enough to make the Ghoul spit blood.

(Vio's Life Points: 2700)

Alexis' voice couldn't be colder. "Give it up. You have no monsters left and you've only got a single card in your hand. There's nothing you can do to win."

Vio pulled himself to his feet and wiped the stray flecks of blood from his mouth before allowing himself a cruel chuckle. "Have you learned nothing? Just as your friend here has the special power of the Draw, so do I. We are chosen by the Duel Spirits, after all. It is at times like this when our strength reaches its crescendo."

"Enough with the oogie-boogie rap. There's no card you can draw that will help you. Destiny has to give way to logic."

Vio smiled. "Don't be so sure." He drew his new card, but without looking at it he played the card already in his hand. "Magic card, Treasure of Martyr!" (Draw one card for every 1000 damage you took since your last turn.)

"Due to this card's effect, and the 7900 points you took from me with your attacks, I get to draw seven new cards!" Vio's hand grew to eight, astonishing Alexis very much. Already things were going South again. She knew in her heart that things were only going to get worse.

"Next I activate the Dark Designator! With this card, I can make you add a card to your hand by naming it." Vio pointed at the girl from Obelisk Blue. "And the card I'm naming is Silent Kaien, my dear. Since you're unwilling to draw the card, I'll do it for you!"

Alexis fished the card from her deck. She looked at it somberly. She wasn't sure if it was the shadows around her, but the card seemed less colorful than it was before. It seemed somehow… dead. Lifeless. Cards weren't alive, of course, but now it just seemed to lack any beauty. It was empty.

"And now I'll pay 1000 of my life points to activate Confiscation, which I'll use to send Kaien to the graveyard!" (Vio: 1700) Alexis discarded the card promptly, but she had trouble imagining why he would go to so much trouble just to discard a Level 2 monster to the grave. It posed no threat while it was inside her deck, so why waste two cards on placing it within arm's reach?

"And finally, by paying half of my remaining life points," Vio shouted triumphantly, "I will activate Cross Robber and bring this duel to its end!" (Vio: 850)

(Cross Robber. Pay half your Life Points. You may use cards in your opponent's graveyard as if they were in your graveyard this turn.)

Jaden realized what was happening now, and he didn't like it. "Chaos Emperor Dragon!"

Vio laughed maniacally. "Oh Great Dragon of Chaos, Bringer of Destruction and Death, Open Thine Eyes and Release the Fury of a Thousand Years on the World That Has Forgotten You!" From the graveyard rose the spirits of Winged Kuriboh and Silent Kaien. Both of them looked to their partners and pleaded silently for help. Jaden made a grab for Kuriboh but his hand only passed through empty air. Alexis saw nothing. She only felt the tremble of the earth beneath her as a great beast descended from the black sky.

"Chaos Emperor Dragon, RISE!!" The field shook as the mightiest dragon of all awoke from its long sleep.

(Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End. Level 8. ATK 3000. DEF 2500. Pay 1000 LP to destroy all cards on the field and in all players hands. Deal 300 damage to the opponent for each card destroyed by this effect.)

"Incredible," Vio yelled triumphantly. "Incredible! I never imagined such power! The spirit of the card has come out! And it's mine! All mine!" The dragon roared with the fury of an erupting volcano, shaking the world outside the shadow-space. All over the planet, streets rumbled and skies turned black as the Envoy of the End spread its wings.

Alexis was speechless. Such a mighty beast was scary enough as a hologram, but this dragon seemed realer than that. The heat of its breath burned her skin. The anger in its eyes and the hungry gnashing of its teeth reminded her just how small she was next to this dinosaurian monstrosity.

But she held her emotions in check. She and Jaden had come too far to give in to despair. She refused to be afraid. Even with nothing on her field to protect her, Alexis refused to give up. She had faith in her friends.

"Go, great dragon!" Vio howled. "_Nova __Flame__!!"_ A piercing white-hot light erupted from the dragon's mouth and went straight for Alexis. If it hit, she wouldn't survive.

Jaden couldn't let it end here. "Elixier, go!!" Immediately, Jaden's trap card activated as his Elemental Hero raced to intercept the blast. (Hero Rescue. Change the target of an attack to an Elemental Hero.) Alexis was spared by Elixier's sacrifice. The fusion monster was vaporized completely.

(Jaden's LP: 1300)

"Yes, yes!" Vio shouted to the darkness. "Struggle! Fight! Give my dragon a proper offering of carnage and terror!"

Jaden wiped the sweat from his brow. "Buddy, you're nuts. I'll be glad when we shut you up."

"Big talk, from such a small insect." Vio placed two cards face down before yielding the field. "Show me, Boy, what you can do."

Jaden drew and summoned quickly. "Neo Spacian Air Hummingbird!" (DEF 600)

The alien birdman's red feathers shuddered as it felt the first touch of cold from the Shadow Realm. He looked over his shoulder to Jaden's worried face. "Even in space have I never felt such a chill! Where have you brought us, Jaden?"

Alexis was surprised at the hologram's question – more precisely, the fact that it asked a question at all. Holograms couldn't talk or think… or feel cold. "What the hell is going on? I'm seeing things."

"This is what I see every day," Jaden said. "Hummingbird is one of my chattier friends." The alien hero looked offended and made his disapproval clear, only proving Jaden's point.

Alexis whispered out of awe. "A spirit? That's a card spirit too?" She stared at this creature she had seen many times, yet never as animated as it was now. "How many spirits do you have in that deck of yours?"

"All cards have a spirit inside them. It's just a question of how visible they are. Winged Kuriboh and my Neo Spacians happen to be really personable." Jaden looked at his deck fondly. "They're my friends. That's why I win so often; I have faith in them, and they in me. We work together to beat the enemy, just like you and I do."

"Why can I see it now, if I couldn't see it before?" Alexis asked.

Vio's dark laugh broke off the conversation. "All spirits have form in the Shadow Realm. Even you can see them here. After all, you can see them." He pointed to the sea of limbs, maws, and eyes swimming in the darkness, reaching for the duelists whenever they drew too close.

Alexis looked down at Silent Kaien's card, sequestered away in the slot of the Duel Disk reserved for cards that were removed from play. The card looked just as lifeless as before. The only think that had changed was that Alexis now felt pain over seeing it in such a state. She realized now that the card – the spirit inside it – might be in pain, or worse, gone forever. Winged Kuriboh and Kaien were taken into the shadows when Chaos Emperor Dragon was summoned. They were sacrificed for this monster. It was a terrible tragedy!

Alexis couldn't let it go unpunished. "Come on Jaden. Let's finish this guy off, once and for all."

Hummingbird flew into the air and drew the light from Vio's cards. He had two left in his hand, which gave the alien two cards to feed from. "Leave it to me!" the alien cried. Green clovers and red flowers showered on Jaden's head, reinforcing his life points to 2300. The Neo-Spacian was no match for Vio's dragon, so he had to defend.

Alexis followed suit. "Aqua Spirit, go! I summon you!" A blue-skinned girl dressed in a seaweed dress as dark as the ocean floor arose to protect her master. (DEF 1200)

Vio drew a card to start his turn. "Against my dragon, there is nothing you can do but cower."

"Don't be so sure! Activate the special ability of Aqua Spirit! When the opponent's Standby Phase occurs, I can switch the position of one of his monsters and keep it that way for the remainder of the turn! That means I can switch your dragon to Defense Mode, meaning you can't attack!" Chaos Emperor Dragon curled into a ball, as if readying for a long nap, and rested its massive head on its front paws. (DEF 2500)

"And since you have only 850 life points," Jaden added, "you still can't use your dragon's special attack."

"I assure you, that won't be true for long." Vio flashed a magic card from his hand and slid it into his Duel Disk quickly. A copper colored statue appeared, depicting an ancient god with various artifacts in his hands all attuned to the theme of nature and the harvest. (Bronze Idol. Increase your Life Points by 500 during your opponent's Standby Phase.)

Alexis frowned thoughtfully. _Since Jaden and I are both his opponent's, __Vio__ will gain 1000 points before his next turn. He'll have more than enough points to offer up to the dragon. With eight cards on the field and in our respective hands, he'll deal enough damage to wipe out my life points and Jaden's in one swift stroke._

Vio set his two remaining cards face-down. "I don't like that bird of yours, so I'd better get rid of these cards to prevent you from taking advantage."

Jaden drew and started his turn. Immediately, Vio's life went to 1350, making the duelist worry. He had to destroy that dragon before it had a chance to awaken in the next turn. He had to fight with everything he had. The fate of Winged Kuriboh, Kaien, and perhaps the world outside depended on it.

"Miracle Fusion!" Jaden cried. "When I summoned Elixier before, the four heroes went to the graveyard! Now, I'll use those four same heroes and remove them from the game to again summon Elixier to the field!" Again, the mighty hero descended with flourish. (ATK 2900) "And I'll use his special effect! All cards that have been removed from the game will return to the deck!"

Winged Kuriboh fell from the shadows in a heap. Jaden rushed to his partner's side as the four heroes Avian, Bubbleman, Burstinatrix, and Clayman flew in as well. The little fairy seemed frightened but otherwise alright. Jaden was truly relieved.

A dark warrior manifested right in front of Alexis, startling her a bit. Its steel armor clanked with each subtle movement the woman underneath it made. The Ice Queen removed by Vio's D.D. Queen returned to the field as well. The snowy particles that always surrounded the frosty monarch fell at Alexis' feet as she looked at Kaien for the first time – as a living thing.

Kaien lifted her mask and revealed her face. Alexis gasped. The woman underneath had a face very much like her own, yet rather than blonde locks she had black strands, and a deep cut went through the warrior's left eye. Her good eye trained on Alexis and went straight for her heart like a sniper's scope.

"You're afraid," Kaien said, sounding very much like a woman Alexis knew well. Her mother worked very hard to allow Alexis to live her dream and be a duelist at Duel Academy. Hearing Kaien's voice reminded her of the home she left behind for the sake of dueling.

Alexis couldn't deny it. She was afraid of losing. She was even more afraid of being powerless. Losing was alright if you tried your best. Losing because there was nothing you could do to win, like in her duel with Yugi, was a different feeling all together. It was horrible. It was a feeling she'd grown used to having ever since Jaden saved her life so many times before.

"No more," Kaien promised. "We'll be afraid no more."

The spirits on the field finally returned to their decks, leaving Jaden and Alexis to face Vio's devil of a dragon alone. Hummingbird and Aqua Spirit knelt defensively while Elemental Hero Elixier readied for a fierce charging attack.

"Since your dragon's defense is lower than my hero's attack, your dragon's going to die!" Jaden promised. "Elixier, finish it! _Final Strike!"_ The hero brought his fist back and came down with a haymaker to end all haymakers.

Vio laughed at the boy's naivety. "No one will destroy my dragon! Trap card!!"

(Final Assault Order. Continuous Trap. All monsters must be in Attack Mode.)

"No!" Alexis cried. Chaos Emperor Dragon rolled over itself when Elixier's fist crashed into it. The dragon recovered quickly and returned fire with its devastating breath weapon, again vaporizing the hero in one fell breath. Jaden took part of the blast and fell on his back with a yell. Parts of his red jacket were on fire, but they quickly went out when the wind kicked up by the dragon washed over him.

(Jaden's Life Points: 2200)

Aqua Spirit and Hummingbird stood ready to attack. None of them would stand against the dragon in single combat. If they were going to survive the duel, she had to destroy the dragon here and now.

"Again, my life points increase!" Vio declared. His Bronze Idol glowed, and his life points increased to 1850. Alexis didn't care. After her move, his life points would be down to zero.

"Ritual of Machine Angel!" A pair of cybernetic wings erupted from Alexis' back, followed by a jet stream of blue light and a halo of white energy. "I sacrifice the Ice Master in my hand to summon the Cyber Angel Dakini!" (ATK 2700) The divine warrior flowed from Alexis' back, taking with it the wings and the halo to become a complete angel.

"What's this?"

"Your demise, Vio! When Dakini is summoned, one of your monsters gets destroyed automatically! And since you have only one monster on your field, that means that Chaos Emperor Dragon is done for!" Dakini held her palm aloft, called on the infinite powers of the heavens, and let loose with all the energy she could muster with the intent of burning the Envoy of the End to a crisp.

"Counter Trap!" Vio's leftmost card revealed itself, shocking Alexis. She hadn't expected him to play a Counter Trap when he'd set those cards. She was certain they were faced down just to avoid Hummingbird's effect.

(Primal Force. Pay 1000 LP to negate a monster's effect and end the turn.)

The energy of the attack washed all over Vio's dragon, but the light of Primal Force deflected it all, much like a Mirror Force, with the exception that the monsters on Alexis' field weren't destroyed, but blinded momentarily. Alexis could hardly see, but she could make out Vio drawing a new card and launching his dragon's attack. The target was Hummingbird.

"Jaden!" Alexis cried. "Jaden!!"

The boy gritted his teeth and shouted at the top of his lungs. "Noooo!!!" Hummingbird was vaporized. Jaden was caught in the blast and surrounded by the hottest fire he'd ever experienced. Alexis watched in horror as the bravest and most cheerful boy she'd ever known was stripped of his most precious gift – his life.

Jaden's body fell to its knees before falling flat. Alexis rushed to his side and turned him over in her lap. His eyes were closed. Black ash covered his cheeks and stained his hair. His lips were parted just barely, waiting for air that would never come.

"Jaden! Jaden!!" Alexis shook him in the hope that he was only unconscious from an unusually rough holographic attack. Deep down, she knew that wasn't the case, but she refused to believe it at first. "Jaden!!"

A tear fell on the boy's face. For a moment, she thought he was crying, and therefore alive. It took a second tear for her to realize that it was her own.

"…Jaden…"

"What was it you were saying earlier, about me not having a chance?" Vio snidely commented.

Alexis turned her gaze on him. Although she had tears in her eyes, she'd never shown more anger in her life than she did now. "You… bastard!!"

"Don't worry, _bonkosu__ duelist._ You'll be joining him soon enough."

--

Bastion and Syrus stepped from the Dark Door only to find an equally dark tunnel ahead of them. The walls wavered and spun, creating a unique kind of vertigo that almost overwhelmed the smaller of the boys. On closer inspection, it was clear that the walls themselves were actually giant rings rotating around a central point upon which the pair stood – a bridge through nothingness. Standing halfway down that bridge was a striking young woman wearing the standard operator's uniform of Kaiba Corp. Her eyes burned with intensity, much like a young female duelist that Bastion was intimately familiar with.

"Welcome to my dungeon," Ikonnu spoke with unnerving calm. "Down this hall is the room where the Duel King and the Prince of Kaiba Corp are being held. You will be joining them soon, once I crush you."

"You're the duelist who told Alexis how to get here," Bastion said. "You helped us."

"By my cell leader's request," she explained. "He was afraid that you would be too afraid to challenge him on your own, so he had me lose on purpose in order to bring your two friends to him. Were I to defeat Alexis that night myself, the probability of acquiring Jaden Yuki's spirit ally were slim."

"An interesting analysis. Your leader is quite the tactician."

Ikonnu lashed out sharply. "I'M the tactician in this outfit! Vio merely gives the final order after I've made it clear what the best course of action may be! Of course, no one will ever know the truth of my brilliance. Typical man; he's going to steal my glory, whether he means to or not."

Bastion held his deck at the ready. "Enough. Shuffle your cards and get ready to duel. We're not leaving without our friends."

"No, wait," Syrus stepped in, surprising both of the other duelists. The boy turned and spoke passionately to Ikonnu. "We don't need to do this!"

"What the hell gave you that impression, you little runt?"

"Because I know you're a better person than this, Ms. Soldat." Ikonnu was taken aback.

"Ms. Who?"

Syrus explained. "I recognize her from one of my _Duelist Monthly_ back issues. Ikonnu Soldat was one of the highest ranked executives and researchers at Shroeder, Kaiba Corp's biggest competition in the field of gaming technology. She helped develop the third edition of the online game _The World_. She was the only person keeping Shroeder from going bankrupt until she disappeared about two years ago."

Bastion looked at the woman carefully. "That can't be the same person. Someone that successful wouldn't be a Ghoul."

"Successful… but penniless," Syrus said. "The article I read said her disappearance was probably because she gave everything she had to the company to keep it afloat. Unfortunately, when the company lost all its money, so did she."

"Shut up!!" Ikonnu yelled forcefully. Her Duel Disk unfolded and powered up to a full 4000 Life Points. "Shut the hell up and duel me!"

Syrus kept Bastion still. The boy took a few steps forward. "You were the greatest. I've played your games ever since my brother bought them for his home computer. I love your games. I just can't believe that you're really here… like this. Why, Ms. Soldat? I don't understand."

Ikonnu's arm trembled as she held her Duel Disk at the ready. She drew six cards with authority and placed one of them into a monster slot. Queen's Knight drew her blade and charged straight for Syrus automatically. Bastion yelled for Syrus to move, but the boy didn't budge an inch. He was frightened, but the faith in his heart paralyzed him completely.

Ikonnu couldn't stand it. "Stop!" she ordered. The knight's blade halted barely an inch from Syrus face. His eyes were wrenched closed. He slowly opened one, then the other when he realized that he was safe.

The woman fell to her knees, still shaking from the emotions that overwhelmed her. "… I gave up everything for that damned company… to President Shroeder. In the end, when the money was all gone… he was just like me, without any money. The next day, he was found on the street underneath a broken window several stories in the air. He left me to rot, alone."

Ikonnu tore her disk from her arm and slammed it to the ground hard enough to shatter the fragile connection between the wing holding the card slots and the arm guard. Her cards fell and scattered in all directions. Queen's Knight shimmered and faded away, allowing Syrus to step closer and kneel in front of the tortured woman.

"I lost everything. Vio promised me a better future. All I had to do was forge an identity and work at Kaiba Corp until I was in position to take over. I believed him… but I know better. Damn it, I believed him."

Bastion couldn't believe it. Zane always accused Syrus of being too nice to be a good duelist. It was commonly believed that the best duelists couldn't have compassion. This had to be proof to the contrary; a True Duelist had to have a heart.

Ikonnu was a shadow of her former self. No longer passionate and brave, she barely had the strength to speak now. "You really… liked my games?"

Syrus smiled. That was enough for her.

--

Vio watched Alexis cradle her partner for a long while. Regardless of how much hate she felt, Alexis had to hold it back. If she were going to have any chance of defeating this Ghoul and his dragon, she had to forget about him, and Jaden, and Yugi. She had to think of nothing except the cards in her hand, and the cards in her deck. So she stood, slowly, carefully, and wiped the tears from her face.

(Alexis – 2200 LP)  
- Aqua Spirit (ATK 1600)  
- Cyber Angel Dakini (ATK 2700)

(Vio – 850 LP)  
- Chaos Emperor Dragon (ATK 3000)  
- Bronze Idol (Magic)  
- Final Assault Order (Trap)  
- facedown card

"So you still wish to fight?" Vio asked, finally ceasing his humming. "Very well. I'll kill you and send you to Hell along with your friend."

"_Watashi__ no turn!_ Draw!" Alexis snatched a new card. Immediately, the Bronze Idol glowed with mystic power and increased Vio to 1350. He now had enough life points to activate the Chaos Emperor Dragon's special ability. If that happened, she would lose all her cards and most of her life points, while he would lose all his cards as well. It wouldn't be enough to kill her, so she didn't think he would use it just yet. He would surely attack her first, taking away a large chunk of her life, before finishing her off with the dragon's awesome power.

Alexis didn't have many options. There was only one monster that could help her now. She hoped she could draw it.

"Magic card, _hatsudo_ Grand Adagio!" (Spell. Tribute one or more non-Token monsters. Draw one card, plus one for each monster Tributed by this effect.)

Aqua Spirit and Dakini spun in circles before bursting into particles of light. Alexis drew three new cards and, with the third draw, got the one she was looking for.

"Silent Kaien, in Attack Mode!" The dark warrior rose from the ground and brandished her scimitar. "The two of us will destroy your ambitions, Vio!" (ATK 200)

"It's too late for that trash to do anything," the Ghoul said. "Her usefulness to me is at an end."

"Well she's still useful to me!" Kaien teleported across the field and slashed Vio across the torso with one swift stroke. She was already back to Alexis' side when Vio realized the damage had been done. (LP: 1150)

Alexis set two cards face-down. "Due to the Direct Attack my Kaien made, she increases to Level 3 and grows stronger!" The monster's black armor grew two wing-like spikes, and her scimitar became slightly more jagged. The real change was in the 1000 extra Attack points she received. (ATK 1200)

Vio drew his new card and played it joyously. "Coins From Heaven! With this card, both players draw until they have six cards in hand!"

Alexis knew why he made the play. He wasn't really recharging his hand. He was increasing the number of cards for Chaos Emperor Dragon to destroy. With both their hands at full capacity, there were a grand total of nineteen cards. The dragon's special attack would send Alexis to Oblivion.

"It's over! Chaos Emperor Dragon, use your immense power! Obliterate her and anyone else who stands in our way!" (Vio's LP: 150)

The dragon's roar was so deafening that Alexis had to shield herself from the wind caused by its words. The ground quaked, and the air rippled like the surface of a pond hit by a boulder. The fire in the dragon's mouth rumbled like a volcano, waiting to erupt.

Even outside the Shadow Realm, the world felt the dragon's intensity. Every city in the world experienced the tremor caused by the dragon's howl, and those most seismically sensitive cities felt still more violent shifts in the earth beneath them. The skies were pitch black. The oceans surged with tsunami-sized waves.

There was only one sane man in the world who ignored the signs. Seto Kaiba ordered one last strike on the barrier, and his three dragons obeyed. With one synchronized blast of their three breath weapons, the hemisphere covering his park shattered into a million pieces.

"The shield is down!" the commander in charge shouted. "Move in, men!" Tanks, trucks, and foot soldiers rushed into Kaibaland in unison, while Kaiba recalled his three dragons and slid their cards back into his deck.

Alexis wasn't going to let it end here. "Your dragon's caused me enough trouble. Reverse card, OPEN!"

(Permafrost. Counter Trap. Negate the activation of a monster effect. For the rest of the Duel, that monster cannot attack, change modes, or use its effects.)

A towering block of ice stood where there was once a mighty dragon. The dragon was the epicenter of a massive outwash of ice and snow that flew to every corner of the park. Seto Kaiba and the military accompaniment were surprised to be hit by a sudden snowfall.

A snowflake touched Kaiba's nose, forcing him to wrinkle it and blow it away. "What the hell is going on?" he asked, frustrated. The earthquakes and storms had disappeared, leaving only a gentle winter scene.

Alexis savored the anger on Vio's face. "Because of my trap card, your dragon is nothing but a chunk of ice now. He won't hurt anyone anymore."

"Correction," Vio said. "He won't hurt anyone until this duel is over. You've accomplished nothing. Once this duel is over, I will be the victor, and your spirit cards will still be my ante. I'll have the means to bring my dragon into the real world whenever I wish."

"You're not going to win."

"I've already beaten the strongest member of your team," he said, pointing at Jaden's body. "Beating you is just a matter of time." In a flash, he summoned an Archfiend Soldier (ATK 1900) and sent it after Kaien. "First and foremost, I'll get rid of that annoying pest!"

Alexis flipped her second card instantly. The Archfiend's attack struck a dimensional rift that knocked it away harshly. (Negate Attack. Ends the Battle Phase immediately.)

"Kaien is not going anywhere."

Vio set two cards face down. "You cannot win. Accept it. You're not strong enough to defeat me."

"You don't know anything about how strong I am!!" Alexis drew and launched her next attack. Kaien flashed out of sight and slashed as hard as she could, but the attack was repelled by an invisible shield. For the briefest moment, a ghostly image appeared in the path of the attack. Rather than reduce his life points, Vio's Bronze Idol made his life points go up. (LP: 650)

(Spirit Barrier. Continuous Trap. All battle damage to you is reduced to zero while you control a monster.)

"You've prepared your deck to take full advantage of that spirit," Vio said confidently, "but I've prepared my deck to take down both your spirits. And I've done a better job preparing my deck than you have."

Kaien sprouted another set of spikes, and her hair almost doubled in length, reaching down to the small of her back. Vio didn't understand the sudden change until Alexis explained it. "Even though the damage was negated, you still received a Direct Attack. Therefore, Kaien increased to Level 5." (ATK 2200) Alexis set another card face-down. "Eventually she'll be stronger than your dragon."

"It matters not. You'll be dead before you can harm it!" Vio showed her a magic card from his hand. (D.D. Burial. Both players select a card in his or her hand and removes it from the game.) Alexis selected her Hail Cyber, while the card Vio selected had ten stars on it. That could only mean one thing.

(Different Dimension God, Diablos. Level 10. 4000/4000. This card cannot be Summoned. If this card is removed from the game, deal 800 damage to the opponent during your Battle Phase.)

"This guy again," Alexis growled. "Don't you know any other tricks?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Reverse card, open!"

(D.D. Shadow. Trap. Activate this card when a monster is removed from the game. Special Summon a copy of the monster without its Effect Text. Destroy this card if the selected monster is returned to the game.)

Alexis watched in awe as a towering shadow grew, and grew, and grew more still into a titanic monstrosity. Its red eyes opened and burned with hellfire. The horns on its head were taller than Alexis, which made the whole creature truly gargantuan. (ATK 4000)

"You may have frozen my dragon partner, but my dark god will finish you off." Vio opened his palm, and instantly the removed portion of Diablos slashed Alexis through the midsection, taking 800 points from her in the process. (LP: 1400)

"Shadow of Diablos, destroy Kaien! _Hand of Death_!"

Alexis opened her trap. "Hallowed Life Barrier! By discarding a card from my hand," she said as she sent The Ice Queen to the graveyard, "I can negate all battle damage to me and my monsters this turn!" Diablos slammed Kaien with all its considerable strength. The magical shield Alexis summoned protected them both from the attack.

Vio laughed at her struggling. "Keep trying, my dear. Seeing you fight makes these years of work all worth it."

Jaden was gone; Alexis needed only to look at his body to be reminded of that. She couldn't bring him back, win or lose. Why struggle if her best friend was still going to be gone?

She couldn't think that way. Alexis had a whole world to worry about now. She had to stop Vio before he took Kaien and Winged Kuriboh and unleashed the Envoy of the End on innocent people. She had to fight. It's what Yugi and Jaden would do.

It's what a True Duelist would do.


	6. A True Duelist

Kaibaland Park was a desolate wasteland. Overturned sideshow attractions and shattered park benches were all that was left to hint at the existence of people. The air was heavy; it smothered the land like a fire blanket, desperate to contain the destructive energies underneath it. The sky still bore the discolorations left behind by the holographic barrier erected by the Ghouls and shattered by Kaiba's dragons. No one ever expected to see the apocalypse at Kaibaland, yet it handled the look very well.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the distance. It was difficult to tell how many people there were. At first, there were a few random steps, but quickly the randomness turned into order. One footstep became two, and then four, eight, a dozen, a hundred, a thousand… too many to count. Yet they all moved in perfect time like an army of drones, unified towards one purpose. One will guided them all.

Joey Wheeler's eyes burned holes through the mist covering the streets of Kaibaland. The army of duelists behind him stepped in time with their leader, the boy with a lion's blonde mane. His normally calm and playful demeanor were replaced by the thuggish focus that allowed him to survive in the streets of Domino City, back when it was a haven for gangs and thieves. It allowed him to survive his own father's abuse. It pulled him through every challenge he faced while at Yugi's side all these years. Now, it was that determination that convinced so many to follow him.

His wife walked in step, her determination tempered by her beauty and cool detachment. She allowed herself a disported grin. She remembered how long ago it was when she first realized that Joseph had two sides to him just like the King of Games he so dutifully served. Joey was childish and excitable at times, and he often played the fool as well. However, when his friends were in danger, he wasn't afraid to put aside his innocent nature and become the warrior who had defeated her and other duelists like her. Mai was always impressed by his strength, but even more impressed by his ability to balance that strength with innocence.

There were a thousand duelists at their back. Their footfalls were an earthquake now. They marched toward the _Fortress on the Mountaintop_, where the Ghouls headquartered and hid. At first, the fortress seemed impregnable, since no duelist could destroy it on his own. But now, with a thousand working together, nothing could stand in their way.

Only when Joey stopped did the legion halt. The fortress overlooked them. The behemoth was not impressed.

"READY!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Behind him, a thousand Duel Disks activated. A thousand cards came to life. A thousand monsters hovered in place. "AIM!"

Mai and her Cyber Harpy waited patiently. On Joey's opposite flank, Rebecca Hawkins and her Diamond Dragon did the same. The two women fought often in professional tournaments and lauded the other's abilities. Rarely did they find the chance to work together like this. They shared a knowing smile. The King of Games had a way of bringing people together, even inadvertently.

The army shouted their order as one. "_IKE!!"_ And a thousand monsters blotted out the sun.

--

An explosion shook the complex above Bastion and Cyrus. They stumbled to the ground, as did their guest, the lady Ghoul called Ikonnu. The woman recovered quickly and helped Cyrus to his feet. He thanked her silently. His words were strong enough to turn her, but his body lacked the strength that he had in his heart.

"I hope that's not part of Jaden's and Alexis's duel," Bastion said worriedly. "The last time an explosion like that happened in a duel, Mister Mutoh and Mister Kaiba were using the God cards."

"Vio's deck is powerful," Ikonnu warned. "If he's unleashed the dark force that he's sought all this time, then it's entirely possible for him to decimate this facility."

"That's not good." Bastion navigated the last legs of the maze. "We must get Mister Mutoh and Vice President Kaiba out of here quickly."

"Before one side loses," Ikonnu said.

"Our friends won't lose," Bastion interjected.

"I never said they would." Ikonnu pointed down the rightmost path in the hallway. "The Duel King and the younger Kaiba are down that way." She tossed Bastion a key card. "That will open the door and the cage."

Bastion raced ahead. Deep in the bowels of the facility, this dark room held the greatest duelist the world had ever known. Yugi rose to his feet when he saw the young Ra Yellow. Mokuba did the same, though he was visibly more relieved. Yugi remained calm.

"It's about time you got here," Mokuba said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I was starting to worry. My brother sent you to retrieve us."

Bastion disabled the _Nightmare Steel Cage_ holding the two men. "Actually, Alexis did. Sort of. It's a long story."

"My brother didn't send you? Then how did you get past the security without his access?"

Bastion pointed to his head. "I'm rather studious."

The facility shook again. Yugi looked up to listen for signs of collapse, but thankfully the facility remained intact. "Vio."

"Jaden and Alexis are fighting him."



"No," Yugi said somberly. "Only one of them is fighting him. The other…" He closed his eyes to contain his feelings. "He's fallen. I heard his soul cry out as it was taken into the shadows."

Bastion gasped. "Jaden's gone!? That can't be."

"We have to hurry. It won't be long before this duel's outcome is decided. We have to clear the facility before that happens."

Bastion followed Yugi and Mokuba into the hall where Syrus and Ikonnu were waiting for them. As the party raced through the maze they just completed, Bastion quelled his own fears as best he could. When Yugi said that the "outcome would be decided", he could only think of one possible outcome. There was no way that Alexis could defeat a man who could best Jaden Yuki. It was mathematically impossible for her to win.

Alexis was going to die.

--

(Vio – 650 LP)  
- D.D. God, Diablos (Deals 800 damage to the opponent during the Battle Phase.)  
- Shadow of Diablos (Trap-Monster. ATK 4000.)  
- Chaos Emperor Dragon (ATK 3000. _Frozen._)  
- Bronze Idol (Increase your LP by 500 during the opponent's turn.)  
- Spirit Barrier (Damage is reduced to 0 while you control a Monster.)  
- Final Assault Order (All monsters must be in Attack position.)

(Alexis – 1400 LP)  
- Silent Kaien LV 5 (ATK 2200. DEF 2400.)

It was in Alexis' nature to try as hard as she could at whatever she was doing. When Duel Academy held its cosplay contest for Spirit Day, she made the best outfit she could because she had pride in her work. When she dueled, she studied the game from every angle so that she could understand every aspect of her and her opponent's plays. She learned to see the game as more than that. Dueling was her life.

When her idol defeated her in a duel, it broke her heart. She felt like she'd failed to live up to her expectations. Worse than that, she felt like she failed to live up to her idol's expectations. She wanted to show Yugi Mutoh that she was a great duelist. She wanted to be like him. She wanted him to think of her as a True Duelist.



Now that she stood on the brink of destruction, she found herself wondering if she would ever meet his expectations. If none of this ever happened, would she even have made an impression on him? Would he have remembered her? Would he remember her years from now?

If she lost here, none of that would matter at all. Standing on the edge of Oblivion, things became much clearer to her. Pride was important, but not if it meant losing everything for the sake of that pride. Sometimes you had to accept that you had limits.

And sometimes, like now, you had to realize that limits were not immutable. You could break your limits if you tried. That was the essence of dueling. That was what growing up was all about.

Vio chuckled malevolently. "It seems you have realized your predicament. Have you accepted your fate?"

Alexis shook her head calmly. "…No. I'm not ready to die."

Vio didn't like what he saw in the girl's eyes. "It's hopeless. Next turn, I will destroy you. That is a fact. It's destiny."

Alexis snatched a card from her deck. "I'll decide what my destiny is!!" A fire trail followed her hand as the shadows around her reacted to the passion in her heart. Alexis glanced at the card out of the corner of her eye, and gasped gently.

Legend of Steel  
- Ritual Spell. Pay half your LP to activate this card.

"Come, child!" Vio yelled. "Show me your anger!!"

Alexis dexterously moved her fingers across the card resting in her duel disk. "Ike!" The spirit launched across the field in response to her duelist's order and attacked Vio harshly. The damage was deflected by the Spirit Barrier, but the attack gave Kaien the experience she needed to grow to Level 7 (ATK 3200). "And I'll set one card face-down, ending my turn!" Alexis slipped her drawn card into her hand, while simultaneously picking another card to set face-down in keeping with her declaration. "_Turn End-oh!"_

"It matters not. With your defeat, Kaien and the Winged Kuriboh will be mine, and the keys to bringing my spirit into this world will be in my hands." Vio drew and began his turn quickly. "Diablos!! Destroy that insignificant bug!"

The towering god brought down its fist on Kaien, blanketing her side of the field in smoke and shattering the ground beneath them. At the same time, the effect of Diablos activated and sent a burst of hellfire straight for Alexis. The fire embraced her completely. The Shadow Realm made the pain of the fire real, so Vio waited expectantly for the girl to scream in pain. But the awaited screams didn't come.

The smoke cleared, and even though Alexis burned, she didn't scream. She gritted her teeth and bore the pain silently. Nearby, Kaien remained alive, despite taking the brunt of the dark god's attack.



"Impossible. How did you…?"

Master Shield  
- Equipment Trap. The equipped monster cannot attack or be attacked. Destroy this equipment card after two turns.

Kaien sported a blue and silver shield covered in a variety of heraldic runes and images. Even though Kaien survived the attack unharmed, Alexis was not so lucky. (LP: 600)

"You would stall your own defeat? I thought you had more pride than that."

"This isn't stalling," Alexis said. "It's tactics. Wait for the opportune moment before you strike."

"Such nonsense. I'm going to enjoy the moment when your life finally fades. At least the boy had the sense to die quickly."

Alexis resisted the urge to look at Jaden's prone figure. She glared intensely. "His name is Jaden Yuki. He's one of my best friends. He's a better man than you."

"If that's so… then why is he lying there?"

Alexis drew her next card. Even before she saw it, she knew it was the card she needed. This must've been what it felt like for Jaden when he dueled. The cards were no longer lifeless instruments in her hands. She could feel them as if they were a part of her. She and the cards were one.

"I'm activating a magic card!" Alexis declared. A blue light swept around Kaien's feet, and the same light circled Alexis. The two experienced a rush of heat in their bodies, signaling the presence of a deep and powerful magic.

Cyber Link  
- Equipment Spell. Damage to you instead reduces the ATK and DEF of the equipped monster. Tribute Cyber Link to gain 500 LP.

"With this card, Kaien and I are bound not only in mind, but in body and soul!!" Alexis pointed angrily to Vio, and Kaien made exactly the same movements. "Your god's not going to defeat us!"

Vio's Bronze Idol increased his life points further. (LP 1150) "Your tricks are meaningless. You may have ways to stave off death, but my god will decimate your spirit and you along with it."

Vio drew his new card and declared Diablos' attack. The dark god slammed Kaien as hard as it could, sending the tiny spirit falling backwards. The Master Shield took the attack again, but much of it was dented and broken. Diablos' second attack struck Alexis dead-on, sweeping her into a tower of flame. The duelist fell to one knee as her heart threatened to give out. Still she fought on, even as the shadows clawed at her soul. (Kaien's ATK: 2400.)

The only thing that kept her going was her determination. Her body had no energy left. She could barely stand. Kaien was exhausted, but she too pulled herself upright.



"Give up!!" Vio demanded.

"… No," Alexis hissed. She gazed at him through the hair covering her face. "I don't need to give up. The battle's already over. You just haven't accepted it yet."

"What are you talking about? I've clearly won!"

"You lost when you started to hammer me with insults." Alexis put a hand to her deck, readying her final draw. "You're as scared to lose as I was. And that terrifies you."

Vio laughed. "You're starting to sound like a Ghoul. It's a shame you won't be around much longer. You would make an excellent servant."

Alexis drew as gently as possible, yet the draw carried more power than any other she'd made. "Yes. Such a shame." Without looking, she held the card up high. "Cyber Matrix, _hatsudo!_"

Cyber Matrix  
- Field Spell. Select up to five monsters in your graveyard and place them in your Spell/Trap Zone.

Four gigantic pods appeared behind Alexis, and inside each of them appeared one of her key monsters. The Ice Master slept peacefully in the first pod. The Ice Queen rested in the second pod. Cyber Angel Dakini, stripped of most of her considerable armament, floated in the third pod. The fourth pod carried Jaden's contribution – the Elemental Hero Elixier.

Vio looked concerned. "What is this…?"

"At this time, the Master Shield is destroyed!" Kaien tossed the spent item aside. "So I can attack! This is the end, Vio!"

"The end of what? You have no way to hurt me! My dragon and my god are both stronger than Kaien, and my Spirit Barrier will deflect any damage she deals to me!"

"Maybe one attack won't be enough." Alexis selected a card from her hand. It crackled with electricity that sent shivers down her arm and through her entire body. "But Kaien and I aren't attacking alone!" Alexis gave up half her remaining life points to unleash the final assault of the duel. (LP 300)

Legend of Steel  
- Ritual Spell. Pay half your LP to activate this card. The monster on your field with the lowest ATK gains an additional attack for every other monster you control. None of your other monsters can attack this turn.

"But… but you only have one monster!"

"Count again." Ice Master (ATK 2500), Ice Queen (ATK 2900), Cyber Angel Dakini (ATK 2700), Elemental Hero Elixier (ATK 2900), and Silent Kaien (ATK 2400)



Four weapons fell from the sky and stabbed into the ground. One was a sword composed of ice and crystal. Another was a crystal rod carrying the power of a comet inside it. The third was a jagged, Persian scimitar with angelic runes dangling from yarns on the hilt. The fourth was a blade with six elemental runes carved along its two faces. The last blade was Kaien's weapon, a hell-forged claymore.

"This can't be!"

"HERE WE COME, VIO!" Alexis roared. "Kaien, _ike!!_" Kaien took the ice sword first and rushed across the field – a flash of black and silver – to strike Vio with all her might. The sword shattered on his Spirit Barrier, sending showers of ice in all directions. Kaien teleported to Alexis' side, ready to snatch another blade.

"Although her attack dealt no damage, she grows stronger for performing a Direct Attack," Alexis declared. "Kaien's level increases!" (ATK 3400) "Which means her second attack will take something very precious to you!"

Vio cried out as Kaien took Dakini's scimitar and sliced Chaos Emperor Dragon to ribbons. The mighty spirit roared in pain before fading into the shadows.

"You little bitch!" Vio snarled. "How dare you-!" Kaien silenced the man with her third attack using the crystal rod borrowed from the Ice Queen. The frigid strike sprayed harmlessly across the Spirit Barrier, but again the direct attack gave Kaien more experience, catapulting her to an incredible 4400 points. With this power, she could use her hell-forged sword to slice and dice Diablos, completely reducing the mighty god to ash.

Vio's field was empty. He gazed in horror as Alexis stood defiantly.

"Kaien's fifth and final strike," said the girl from Obelisk Blue, "will be the last. This one is for Jaden." Kaien took up Elixier's six-runed sword and started the final charge. Vio screamed as Kaien cleaved into him. The Shadow Realm made the pain as real as if he'd actually been struck. He felt his body split in half, even as he looked down and saw it whole. The pain was immeasurable.

Vio collapsed. His life was gone. The shadows swarmed around him, like piranhas in a feeding frenzy, and devoured him as one giant horde. When the swarm retreated to the shadows, there was nothing left but a few scattered Duel Monster cards.

The chill faded. Alexis saw the steel floor of the Kaibaland facility once again. She was back in the real world. Her first reaction was to faint, but she resisted. She crawled to Jaden's side and cradled his head in her lap. Kaien stood over her protectively, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

--



Joey and his army watched the _Fortress on the Mountaintop _shatter and disappear. The hologram was no more. A cheer rose from the crowd as they saw several familiar faces walking from the wrecked facility. Yugi and Mokuba rushed to their friends. Tea pushed her way past all the duelists to leap into Yugi's arms, kissing him passionately.

Syrus and Ikonnu explained why the Ghoul was with them. Bastion turned to face the desiccated shell behind him. The facility could barely stand after all that had happened inside it. He wanted to get back in there and find Alexis and Jaden. Yugi assured him that Alexis would be alright, but he wouldn't be certain of it unless he was at her side. He spent far too much time at her back already.

"We're sorry for sneaking out," Syrus said to Joey, who was already on the verge of throttling someone. Syrus bowed repeatedly. "It's just, there's no convincing them when they decide to do something like this!"

"I understand," Joey said. "I guess kids will be kids." Mai shook her head nearby. Joey Wheeler criticizing someone else for childish behavior was surely a sign of The End Times.

The sound of approaching helicopters and ground vehicles grew louder than the crowd. The lead helicopter dangled a rope ladder from the bottom, and upon it was President Kaiba himself, still wearing his Duel Disk and looking battle-ready. He jumped to street level when he saw Mokuba waving below. The president betrayed a rare smile when he saw that his brother was safe. Even though Mokuba was an adult himself by now, Seto still saw Mokuba as his little brother, and always would.

"You're late, Kaiba," Yugi said. "The battle has already been decided."

"How can you be so sure that-?" Kaiba asked. Quickly, he discarded the question. He knew by now that Yugi would always have a sixth sense about such things, whether or not he was wearing a Millennium Puzzle around his neck. "I suppose next time I'll have to hire more competent help." Nearby, the acting commander of the military accompaniment cleared his throat.

"What about Alexis and _Aniki_?" Syrus asked.

"Everything will be taken care of," Yugi said cryptically. "All we can do now is wait."

--

Alexis was a cheerful person at heart, despite her cool, detached demeanor. She didn't like to frown. The last few days had taken their toll on her. She felt like she wouldn't smile ever again after getting such a rough introduction to what it was like to lose someone you loved. Her face was devoid of emotion and energy. She felt empty. Her eyes didn't shine anymore. She felt cold. The room's vast emptiness echoed even the faintest noises, reminding her of how alone she was.



Alexis felt like crying. Yet she couldn't do it. Every part of her body cried for release, but nothing happened. Her heart was just… empty.

Kaien's armor clanked as she stepped carefully across the room to scoop up what remained of Vio's deck. She brought the cards to Alexis, who didn't look up at first. She didn't care about cards right now. One of her best friends laid motionless in her lap – how could anything else matter?

Alexis saw that the cards were Vio's rarest – Diablos and the spirit-bearing Chaos Emperor Dragon. She could see the remnants of the spirit's face reflected in the card. Kaien slew it in the battle, so she imagined the spirit was weak. More than that, Vio's entire mission had been to bring the dragon to this world. It seemed it was fading away bit by bit, until it was back in the shadows where it belonged.

Alexis took the cards. She suspected that Yugi would want them, to make sure they didn't fall into the wrong hands. If Bastion and Syrus managed to rescue him, that is.

Bastion… Syrus… they would be worried. Alexis had to go and tell them what happened. She had to do it at some point. Maybe now, when her heart was too broken to feel anything, would be the best time.

As Alexis got ready to stand, she heard a faint but familiar chirp. _Kuri..._ She looked up slightly and saw the faint image of Winged Kuriboh. Was he faint because of Jaden?

Alexis looked towards Kaien. She was faint too. Was her vision failing?

_Kuri!_ Again the creature chirped. Alexis looked to him, her expression full of pain.

"I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do. Jaden… he's…"

Kuriboh floated down to Jaden's face and massaged it with a furry paw. Jaden's cheek grew rosy where the fairy touched it. Alexis touched the spot as well. It was warmer. Before she realized what she was doing, Alexis cradled Jaden's cheek and held his face. She watched every contour of his skin move in response to her touch. He looked like he was sleeping. His face was so beautiful as he slept, in stark contrast to the often impish expressions he had while he was awake.

Alexis felt a twitch underneath her hand. Was that her hand moving, or was that his face? For a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Alexis dared not breathe, lest the tiny spark of life she thought she saw be blown away like a flickering candle. Alexis watched and waited.

Time grew slower. Alexis couldn't tell how long she waited, but she knew when the wait was over. Slowly, like a flower blossoming with the first light of spring, Jaden's eyes began to open. His chestnut eyes wavered in her direction, just before clarity returned to his expression. "… Hey 'Lex. What'd I miss?"

Alexis couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe it. The happiness she felt was all too much. Her heart erupted with joy, and she burst into tears as she gripped Jaden as tightly as she could.

--

When they stepped out of the facility together, Alexis and Jaden were greeted by a horde of cheering duelists. Alexis didn't know what to make of it, so she was unsure of how to react, but Jaden, as always, went with his gut and simply waved back to the crowd, cheering in return. Bastion and Syrus rushed up to greet them and express their relief. Jaden eagerly described the "sweet duel" they had, while Alexis confirmed that Yugi and Mokuba were indeed rescued. She was unwilling to face Yugi at first, but Joey and Jaden corralled her into it by dragging her towards the crowd so they could shower her with praise. As far as they were concerned, she single-handedly defeated the man responsible for this catastrophe.

"I never doubted you guys for a minute!" Joey cheered, slapping Jaden on the shoulder. Again, Mai tsked nearby. This time, Joey replied, "I didn't!"

"Good work," Yugi said to them. Alexis thought his words were mostly for Jaden, since she still didn't think-.

"Alexis is the one you should thank," Jaden said, giving her a gentle shove forward. "She took care of Vio when I messed up."

Yugi looked her square in the eye and smiled. "Well done, Alexis Rhodes. I knew you could do it."

Alexis bowed instinctively. "Thank you." She remembered the cards in her pocket and quickly reached for them. She unfanned three of them and offered them to Yugi. "Th-these are for you. I mean, these are yours."

Yugi took them in hand. D.D. God Diablos and Chaos Emperor Dragon were the first two, while the last was Silent Kaien, the card he placed in her deck during their tag battle, so that she might have a chance against the Ghouls. Kaien was a spirit he was meant to protect and raise. It surprised him how Fate worked sometimes.

"Thank you," Yugi said simply as he pocketed the cards. Alexis watched Kaien go with regret. She may never get to see another spirit again, but she was glad to have fought beside one so strong and brave. A spirit like that definitely belonged with the King of Games.

Seto Kaiba shoved past the adult, beer-gutted versions of Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood. "If you're done coddling the children now, Yugi, I'd like to discuss the matter of who is going to pay for the damages to my amusement park."

Joey grimaced. "I think he's actually grown _meaner_ over the years. Not a shred of gratitude for saving his brother!"



Jaden, always the quick thinker, cut in. "Our school will cover the cost!"

The vein in Kaiba's forehead bulged to critical mass. "I _own_ your school!"

"Oh… well then, uh… will an I.O.U. be okay?"

The laughter from the gathered friends was welcomed after such a tension-filled day. Alexis managed to smile. For someone who, a few minutes ago, would never smile again, that was truly something to be proud of.

--

Alexis didn't think she would be so excited to go home. After everything that happened, she wanted nothing more than to go to bed and get a good eight hours of sleep. She spent so much time talking to duelists eager to hear about her "exploits", interviewers for _Duelist Weekly_, and members of the police asking for information on what happened. Suddenly, Mindy's chattering seemed inviting.

Her friends waited at the airport, ready to head back to Duel Academy Island in the Pacific. It was a long flight and they had to leave America early. She couldn't imagine how Jaden managed to have as much energy as he did at five in the morning. He said goodbye to everyone who was sending them off.

"I want my rematch when we meet next," Jaden promised Joey. "And _I'll_ be the winner!"

"Keep telling yourself that." Joey shook the boy's hand. "See you 'round, Kid." As Jaden moved down the line to Tea and Yugi, Mai whispered in Joey's ear, "Want me to sign you up as a guest professor for the Academy this semester?" She meant it as a joke, but she was disturbed by how thoughtful Joey's face became.

"Goodbye, _Jaden-kun_," Tea said pleasantly. "Please keep in touch."

"I will." Jaden shook Yugi's hand wordlessly. The two shared everything that needed to be shared in that handshake. They knew they would see each other again someday. It was destiny.

Finally, it was Alexis's turn to say goodbye. She faced Yugi as best she could. "It has been a pleasure, _Mutoh-san._ I'm sorry for all the trouble we've caused." She wasn't referring to the 'trouble' that the Ghouls brought with them to Kaibaland. She meant her friends' intrusion on the pro duelist's time. It was a farewell she prepared long before she and her friends ever came to Kaibaland. She said now as a matter of habit, although it sounded silly. It was too late to take her words back.

"Goodbye, _Rhodes-san_," he replied. Again, she wished he would call her Alexis-kun like he did during their duel against the Ghouls. It made her feel like she was a True Duelist, and not just a student of the game. Maybe she still had to prove herself. She felt pained by the thought, but she reminded herself to remain cool. She would have to redouble her efforts as a student.



The gang said their final goodbyes and boarded the airplane provided for them by Kaibaland. They took their seats and waved to their new friends through the windows. The assembled professional duelists – the legends from Domino City – waved one last time before turning to head home themselves. It might be a long time before they saw each other again.

Alexis watched them go sadly. She regretted everything she said to the Duel King. No matter how she looked at it, she always felt like she failed to express her true feelings to him. She always bumbled her way through conversations with him. She always obsessed with the game instead of enjoying it with him, like Jaden did. She wished she could do it all over again. But, of course, life didn't work that way. She had to accept the past as it was, and move on.

The plane began to take off. As it did, Alexis got ready to nap, as it was still quite early in the morning and they were in for a long flight. She was surprised when Syrus took a seat beside her. He always sat beside Jaden if he could help it.

"Syrus?"

The boy reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Mister Mutoh said you dropped this." He quickly scurried back to his seat so that he could buckle up before takeoff.

Alexis stared at the folded paper for a long time before slowly unwrapping it. She carefully pulled open the top half and saw, in utter shock, the name of a Duel Monsters card. A familiar face greeted her from underneath the folds. She unwrapped the paper and held Silent Kaien in her palm with disbelief.

Scribbles on the inside of the paper caught her attention. Alexis held the paper so as to catch the sunlight coming through the window at her side. The message was eloquently simple. _A True Duelist doesn't see cards. She sees friends. Take care of her, Alexis-kun. – Y_

Alexis' thumb caressed the 'Y' thoughtfully. Elsewhere, a man with a red and gold crown of hair smiled.

"What are you thinking?" Tea asked, gently poking him.

Yugi wrapped an arm around his wife. "Some people are meant for each other."

Tea smiled and hugged him tightly. "I couldn't agree more."


End file.
